Kohona Tonight
by thesaiyanjedi
Summary: It has been a year since the shadow organization known as Taka came out of shadows and attacked Konoha, and in that time, much has changed. Join host Daisuke Kishiyama as we take a look at just how much the world has changed, and how the ongoing crusade against Taka is poised to take a bizarre turn unlike anything the ninja world has seen before. Prequel to the SFA sequel.
1. Episode 0--Author's Notes

Hello friends, this is thesaiyanjedi here with my latest fanfiction idea.

I am writing this forward chapter to let you know that this story is going to be very different than what I normally do. How so? Because this one really isn't going to be a story at all, so much as a series of transcripts from a fictitious news program airing on television in Konohagakure.

The show is called _Konoha Tonight_ , hosted by accomplished investigative news anchor Daisuke Kishiyama. In the series of ongoing weekly episodes, Daisuke will be interviewing and doing profile pieces on a number of characters, both familiar and new, concerning the events following "Shinachiku's First Adventure," and leading into its forthcoming, still untitled sequel. Think of it as kind of the viral marketing campaign for the sequel story.

In speaking of which, that brings me to my major inspiration for this idea. Remember back in 2008 when _The Dark Knight_ was coming out and the amazing viral marketing campaign that was launched to get fans involved in it? Well, my favorite part of that campaign was a series of six webisodes originally released through Comcast called _Gotham Tonight_ , starring Anthony Michael Hall reprising his Mike Engel character seen in the film. These short episodes were a fantastic setup for the movie and actually served to enhance my already incredible experience when I saw the film for the first time.

...On a personal note, that weekend was a truly amazing one for me because, not only did I get to see _The Dark Knight_ that Friday, but I saw the debut of "Sozin's Comet," the four-part finale to _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ , the very next day! AWESOME!

For those of you who have never seen the _Gotham Tonight_ episodes before, I am not sure if they can still be found online or not, but I can tell you that they are all available on the special three-disk Blu-ray edition of _The Dark Knight_ as bonus features.

The reason I am telling you all of this upfront is because, to not break up the different format of this story, I will not be posting author's notes at the beginning and end of each of these chapters.

For those of you who have been following my stories up to this point, I encourage you to pay close attention to what is said in these weekly _Konoha Tonight_ episodes and how it will set up the SFA sequel.

Thank you all for your time. So, with all of that said, lets get to reading!


	2. Episode I--Inauguration Night

("KONOHA TONIGHT" title card appears and then fades out to show the host, DAISUKE KISHIYAMA, at his desk to deliver the evening news.)

DAISUKE: Citizens from Konoha and all over the Frie Country came out in full force today to commemorate the inauguration of the country's new damiyō, Ikkyū Madoka, seen here in this photo with his young son, Tentō. Madoka's appointment comes in the wake of his promise to assist in the ongoing crusade to weed out remnants of the terrorist shadow organization known as Taka, first exposed in a devastating battle within Konoha last year that left several injured or dead, millions of ryo in property damage, the lifetime imprisonment of former village elder Uragi Rimonō, and the conviction of dozens of shinobi forces across the Shinobi Union through rigid internal affairs investigations. Not since the inauguration of our own Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, has the Land of Fire seen such a heightened level of commotion and excitement concerning the appointment of a political figure. News of the groundbreaking appointment, though, was eclipsed by an unexpected disruption of the events, culminating in yet another story of heroism for the Hidden Leaf Village's rising star, young Shinachiku Uzumaki.

(Turns to another camera.)

DAISUKE: At around 4:00 pm this evening, three men armed with kunai and baseball bats began threatening patrons at the proceedings, allegedly even assaulting them, and destroying Ikkyū Madoka posters and banners. Before the violence escalated, Shinachiku Uzumaki and the squad of elite Chūnin under his command appeared on the scene, quickly disarming each of the men, and leaving them beaten and bound to a tree for the authorities. Shinobi law enforcement have arrested all three of the men, identifying one of them as Ogata, a shinobi from Sunagakure and a reputed member of the infamous Harada crime family. Ogata is also allegedly tied closely to one Sandosupai, a former elder of Sunagakure and the alleged leader of Taka underground cell within the Hidden Sand Village. Sandosupai is currently set to stand trial for these crimes.

(Turns back to the original camera)

DAISUKE: Good evening, I'm Daisuke Kishiyama, and this is a special edition of _Konoha Tonight_ , continuing our up-to-the-minute coverage of the new daimyō's inauguration. Joining me in the studio to discuss the sudden turn of events tonight are Shikamaru Nara, personal adviser to Lord Hokage himself, as well as the official Konoha representative for the Shinobi Union, and his wife Temari, sister of the Kazekage and the official representative for Suna.

SHIKAMARU AND TEMARI: Good evening Daisuke.

DAISUKE: And also joining us tonight via live telefeed is Noburo, transfer shinobi from Sunagakure who will be speaking on Sandosupai's behalf.

NOBURO: Thank you for having me Daisuke.

DAISUKE: Now, the identification of this man Ogata attacking the daimyō's inauguration today is an alarming turn of events, but his identification and the ties he has to crime lord Hanzai Harada are extremely troubling. More important though are this man's alleged ties to Sandosupai and therefore involvement in Taka. What possible advantage, in any, does this give the prosecution seeking a conviction in this case?

SHIKAMARU: Well, you know Daisuke, Ogata's capture provides us with an invaluable link to Sandosupai's activities within Taka. By identifying him at the scene tonight, we can act under suspicion that Ogata was acting specifically under orders from Sandosupai himself, therefore suggesting that this was specifically intended as a Taka planned attack—

NOBURO: Gross accusations and nonsense, that's all that is.

DAISUKE: Mr. Noburo, you are joining us tonight as a speaker for Sandosupai himself. Can you confirm or deny any truth to the accusations of the former elder's treasonous activities while serving as an adviser to the Kazekage?

NOBURO: I can tell you with absolute certainty, Daisuke, that I have known Sandosupai for my entire shinobi career and there is no possible way that a good, honest man like himself is capable of the actions that the Kazekage is accusing him of.

TEMARI: Or maybe you don't know that man as well as you think you do.

NOBURO: What?! How dare you—?!

DAISUKE: Lady Temari, as Suna's official representative and the elder sister of Lord Kazekage, what reasons does you brother have for accusing Sandosupai of treason against the Sand Village?

TEMARI: Daisuke, both of my brothers and the advising council of Suna, of whom Sandosupai is formally associated with, have uncovered multiple interrogative testimony of former Suna ninja court-martialed for being double agents after Taka came out of the shadows during the attack on Konohagakure. They all have identified themselves as taking orders either directly from Sandosupai or from an intermediary party.

NOBURO: These accusations of Sandosupai somehow being the mastermind behind Taka's presence in the Hidden Sand Village are nothing more than a bunch of lies, a desperate attempt by corrupt ninja to pin the blame on a prestigious, high-ranking official like Lord Sandosupai to take suspicion off of themselves—

SHIKAMARU: Furthermore, Anbu Black Ops raiding of Uragi Rimonō's former residence have uncovered multiple documented conversations between Uragi and Sandosupai of suspicious and incriminating subject matter, not to mention some incriminating audio recordings—

NOBURO: The idea that Uragi Rimonō is in any way associated with Sandosupai is completely unfounded. Believe me, if there was any evidence to the contrary I would have honored the duty to which I have swore and arrested Sandosupai myself! But the Kazekage isn't interested in the truth! He just wants to help his friend the Hokage's _witch hunt_ into the very heart of our way of life—!

SHIKAMARU: (Groaning) Here we go Daisuke. Seriously, this guy's—

DAISUKE: Hang on a second. Mr. Noburo, what are you trying to say sir?

NOBURO: Nothing that everybody in the Leaf Village doesn't already know. Ever since the end of Taka's invasion last year, our esteemed Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, has alienated nearly his entire shinobi forces with his internal affairs investigations. I mean, come on, he's labeling his own shinobi as traitors left and right, he's appointed his own son as the head of his own elite squad on behalf of the Union, he doesn't seem to have any ethical dilemma's about allowing his resurrected loved ones to walk among us like nothing is out of the ordinary, and I've even heard rumors of Uragi Rimonō suffering torture while inside his cell in the Strict Correctional Facility. Daisuke, really, do these sound like the actions of a trustworthy and rational Hokage to you?

DAISUKE: Those are some valid points. Lady Temari, Lord Hokage's internal affairs investigations have stirred up quite a bit of controversy among Konoha's ninja population. Given your family's long history of friendship with Naruto Uzumaki, is it possible that your brother may have allowed Naruto's actions to unfairly influence his own?

TEMARI: Absolutely not Daisuke. Gaara's expulsion and arrest of Sandosupai was based on overwhelming testimony of confirmed Taka double agents and documented converse with Uragi Rimonō. Nothing more.

DAISUKE: Shikamaru, if I may be allowed to change the subject for just a moment, as the Hokage's adviser, why has he refused to do any interviews? Why won't he agree to come on the show? What is he afraid of?

SHIKAMARU: (Annoyed) He's not afraid of anything Daisuke, he's just busy. In fact, you know what he's doing right now? He's in his office working to help my brother-in-law to put together the evidence needed to put Taka leader Sandosupai behind bars. Now, isn't that exactly the kind of thing you would expect from your Hokage?

NOBURO: The only people Naruto Uzumaki has put on trial are his own shinobi. Hard working, innocent men and women with families they can no longer support because they've either lost their jobs, or because they've been unfairly put in jail.

SHIKAMARU: No Daisuke, nearly every ninja that Naruto has put on trial has been found guilty, and they have been found guilty by way of solid, unbiased evidence. And each of those convictions have led to information on corruption that stems right back to Taka and, in some instances, even to the Harada crime family of all places—

NOBURO: I'm not going to entertain this absurdity that Hanzai Harada has somehow gotten to anyone here, or in Suna, or anywhere in the Union for that matter. What's relevant is that Sandosupai is merely the latest victim of Uzumaki's witch hunt into the shinobi system he represents. A witch hunt that has persecuted the very people who every day put their lives on the line to protect the rest of us. Tell me Daisuke, just how effective do you think this "new era" heralded by this new Shinobi Union is going to be, when the face behind it has alienated his ninja forces with his internal affairs investigations? What do you think happens to law and order when you go after the law?!

DAISUKE: Again, valid point. Shikamaru, Lord Hokage's internal affairs investigations have uncovered corruption within the village, certainly, but at what cost? He's going to need these guys pitted against Taka, not himself.

TEMARI: Daisuke, may I speak for my husband here?

DAISUKE: Go ahead.

TEMARI: This is where I would like to bring up the Union's elite units specifically organized for deployment against Taka, such as the one led by Shinachiku Uzumaki. Now, for my part, I would like to say that my son and niece are—

NOBURO: If you want to send out a bunch of punk children to go declare war on Taka, well, that's what you're gonna get.

TEMARI: I don't—

NOBURO: _War._ Because an organization as strong and well founded as them _doesn't_ just go quietly into the night. If you go after them with violence, they'll come right back at you with more violence.

SHIKAMARU: Well, you should know, Mr. Noburo.

NOBURO: What?! Agh!

SHIKAMARU: I said you should know, Mr. Noburo.

DAISUKE: Should know what Shikamaru?

SHIKAMARU: Should know how Taka and the criminally minded are going to react to the net that Naruto is tightening around them. It doesn't surprise me that a man like Mr. Noburo here can't understand how Naruto has made Konoha a stronger village by rooting out the ring of corruption that threatened to bring it down. Corruption that Noburo himself has had a hand in.

NOBURO: _What did you say?!_

SHIKAMARU: Now through this entire post war period of the last year leading up to today's appointment of the new daimyō, Daisuke, we have endured smear campaigns and character assassinations perpetrated by men like Noburo and his friends, including the ones that tried to threaten the daimyō's supporters today—

NOBURO: You're right out of line—!

SHIKAMARU: And never once did the Hokage stoop to their level to retaliate. But now that Lord Madoka is safely in office, we can reveal that we have uncovered evidence that Mr. Noburo, _former_ chief consultant for the Suna-Konoha alliance and a trustee to the Suna Elder's Council, both organizations, interestingly enough, with strong ties to Sandosupai, is himself under investigation for the misuse of power, aiding and abetting with Sandosupai, conspiracy against his own village, and even the acceptance of bribes—

NOBURO: Now I don't have time for this!

SHIKAMARU: ...And will be prosecuted to the full extend of the law.

NOBURO: Look, look! You and your boss better be real careful! You think your Orange Hokage doesn't have any chinks in his armor? _Well you think again!_

DAISUKE: Is that a treat, Mr. Noburo?

NOBURO: You figure it out for yourselves! No you turn that camera off!

(Signal from NOBURO goes static)

DAISUKE: ...Umm...I think we just lost Mr. Noburo.

TEMARI: (Smiling) Well, goes to show you Daisuke that when the truth comes out, those that are guilty will panic and run.

SHIKAMARU: And it also goes to show that a man of the utmost integrity, intelligence and conviction will prove himself despite all the detractors. You know, when you meet someone like that you can't help but believe in them. And Temari and I still _believe_ in our Hokage and our friend, Naruto Uzumaki. And we feel we speak for everyone when we say that Konoha does too.

DAISUKE: Well I will as well if we can get the Hokage to come in here and join us on the show. Any chance of that happening, Shikamaru?

SHIKAMARU: Ah, well, I'll do what I can, Daisuke.

(DAISUKE turns to another camera)

DAISUKE: I wanna thank all of my guests: Noburo, Shikamaru Nara and Lady Temari. We will, of course, keep you updated on the pending investigation against Mr. Noburo, as well as the impending trial of Sandosupai. In the meantime, join us in two weeks as we take a closer look at exactly what Lord Seventh Hokage is up against not only in his war on Taka, but also his mission to keep the village itself safe. Taka is one thing, but how will he combat a recent trend of rash, sensational offenses committed by criminals that seems to have no motive at all? And next week, check out our profile on one of Konoha's most famous, powerful, and _controversial_ protectors, Anbu Captain Sasuke Uchiha, as we try to determine who the _real_ man is behind the dubious reputation. We thank you for watching. More inauguration coverage on the hour. This is _Konoha Tonight_.

(Fade to black; cut to end title card)


	3. Episode II--The Last of a Dynasty

("KONOHA TONIGHT" title card appears and then fades out to show the host, MOTOKO KATSURAGI, standing in front of a green screen projecting a aerial view of Konoha behind her.)

MOTOKO: There are war heroes, there are missing nin, and there are drifters. But there is only _one_ Sasuke Uchiha.

(Wipe to a series of still images used to accompany MOTOKO'S narration.)

MOTOKO: The only known survivor of the infamous Uchiha clan massacre, Sasuke Uchiha has been one of Konoha's most notable celebrities since his early childhood, whose name is synonymous with brilliance, power, tragedy, heroism, and even treachery. And yet, despite his prominent place in the public eye, much of his true life is not known to the public, particularly his life outside the village gates.

(Cut back to MOTOKO)

MOTOKO: Hi everyone, I'm Motoko Katsuragi, and tonight on _Konoha Tonight_ we explore the long, tragic and _very_ complicated life of a man that has lived on both sides of the law, hoping to find a man who, having gone through a truly transformative story, is now poised to start taking some major responsibilities.

(Cut to title card: "The Last of a Dynasty: Sasuke Uchiha", produced by Jun Waibu)

(Wipe back to a series of still images as MOTOKO narrates.)

MOTOKO: Sasuke Uchiha, the elite shinobi who won't let anyone come between him and what he wants for himself and for his family...And being close friends with the most famous ninja in the world comes with its fair share of perks as well. But it hasn't always been easy for the raven-haired warrior. A moment of unexpected, horrific tragedy ruptured his storybook life, and set him off on a course that he never thought he would travel. That event was the tragic and violent loss of his entire clan as a young boy. Worse yet, that tragedy occurred at the hands of the one person he thought he could trust the most. The second and youngest son of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, young Sasuke was born into a life of notoriety and prestige. It was none other than Madara Uchiha who originally partnered with First Hokage Hashirama Senju to found the Village Hidden in the Leaves as a place of peace where their children would never need to die in battle. Sasuke's father and mother were both Jōnin rank shinobi, with his father acting as head of both the clan and of Konoha's Military Police Force.

(Cut to an on the street interview with newly resurrected KUSHINA UZUMAKI.)

KUSHINA: They were some of the village's best, that was for sure y'know. Mikoto wasn't just one of my best friends, but she was such a kind hearted woman devoted to her family...I've sometimes wondered why she didn't get a second chance at life instead of me...

(Cut back to more stills along with MOTOKO'S narration.)

MOTOKO: But as impressive as both of his parents might have been, even they paled in comparison to their own first born son, and Sasuke's older brother, Itachi Uchiha. A prodigy student of Konoha's ninja academy, Itachi quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a member of the Anbu Black Ops at only eleven years old, where he often served alongside future Hokage, and his brother's future sensei, Kakashi Hatake. Sasuke Uchiha was newly born mere days before the infamous attack against the village by the Nine-Tailed Fox. As revealed in the Seventh Hokage's tell-all novel, _The Tale of Naruto_ , this catastrophe soured relations between the Uchiha clan and the village's leadership, the latter believing the former to be responsible. This unfair treatment lead the clan to plot a coup d'etat, led by Fugaku. Tormented, and fearing the potential for another shinobi war, Itachi instead became a double agent for the Third Hokage and the village council. Over time, hopes for peaceful negotiation died down and Itachi was approached with two options: support the Uchiha's coup and have the whole clan killed, including his brother, or accept the assignment to wipe out the clan himself before the coup cold begin, with the promise that Sasuke could be spared...The rest, as they say, is history.

(Cut to a disturbing montage of crime scene photographs of the Uchiha clan massacre.)

MOTOKO: All of Konoha's citizen's know that Itachi had indeed agreed to murder his entire clan save for young Sasuke that night. What many of our views may _not_ know however, and as Naruto Uzumaki outlines in his bestselling autobiography, is that Itachi actually received help in his crime by a fellow Uchiha clan member, a masked terrorist that Itachi falsely believed to be Madara Uchiha himself, in actuality the long believed deceased Obito Uchiha. Promising to help 'Madara' get his revenge on the clan in exchange for his word not to attack the village, the pair set out to commit one of the most horrific crimes in the history of the Konohagakure. Young Sasuke came home to a life scaring sight that night, culminating in a stand off with his own brother, who lied about his reasons for his crime to push his brother to train to awaken his own Mangekyō Sharingan and to one day face him in battle. After the massacre, Sasuke entered the Academy where he first met another orphan named Naruto Uzumaki. Neither of them knew that this would ultimately be the beginning of a relationship that would help define them for the rest of their lives.

(Cut to an interview with KAKASHI from inside his own home.)

KAKASHI: I first started training those kids back when they were twelve years old. I really should have done a lot more to keep those boys in line than I did... You now, people have asked me before why I always put more time into training Sasuke than I did Naruto... If you know my own story, then I think the answer is obvious. Am I proud of it? No, but we can't change the past I suppose...

(Cut back to stills and MOTOKO'S narration.)

MOTOKO: Upon graduation, Sasuke was placed on Team 7, along with Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno, under the tutelage of renowned ninja Kakashi Hatake. Together the team embarked on numerous missions, including helping to thwart Orochimaru's attack on the village during that year's Chūnin Exams. That all changed, however, when agents working for the fallen sannin finally convinced Sasuke that to gain the power he needed to defeat his brother, he would have to do the unthinkable.

(Cut to an interview with SAKURA.)

SAKURA: What happened that night I will never forget. There he was with his backpack ready to leave the village. I told him I loved him. I begged him to stay...He didn't.

(Cut back to stills with MOTOKO'S narration.)

MOTOKO: The next day newly appointed Fifth Hokage Tsunade organized a squad of young ninja to head out and retrieve Sasuke before he could reach the Hidden Sound Village, to no success. Most of Sasuke's life during those two years under Orochimaru's care remain a mystery. What we do know is that the fallen sannin trained the boy in many of his own techniques. Eventually however, the time came for Orochimaru to make his play to take the boy's body as his next host...He would never get the chance. Yes, Sasuke defeated his master in battle and then set off on his quest to defeat Itachi. To aid him in this goal he recruited three followers: Suigetsu Hōzuki, former Swordsman of the Mist, Karin, member of the Uzumaki clan and master sensor, and Jūgo, a former test subject of Orochimaru's known for violent rages.

(Cut to an interview with KARIN UCHIHA, Sasuke's wife.)

KARIN: He found us to help him get revenge on his brother. None of us knew what we were really getting ourselves into...least of all me.

(Cut back to clips with MOTOKO narrating.)

MOTOKO: The team, originally called 'Hebi,' did ultimately accomplish their goal. Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha faced each other one final time in a battle that pushed both of them to their limits, ending with Itachi's death. But the story was far from over, as Obito Uchiha then took Sasuke in and finally revealed the whole truth of what happened on the night of the massacre. This revelation sent Sasuke even further down his spiral of revenge, now motivating him to destroy the leadership of Konoha itself. Joining the criminal syndicate the Akatsuki and changing his team's name to 'Taka,' Sasuke began a crime spree that officially made him as a nationwide criminal. It would not be until the outbreak of the Fourth Great Shinobi War that Sasuke would finally seize his chance for redemption, assisting his former teammates in their ultimate defeat of Obito, the _true_ Madara Uchiha, and ultimately the goddess Kaguya Ōtsutsuki herself. Now a war hero, Sasuke Uchiha's redemption seemed complete...until a sudden turn for the worst shocked everyone. Taking all of the tailed beasts under his control, he swore to kill all of the then current kage and to remake the world order the way he wanted it. This ultimately led to a rematch between him and Naruto at the Valley of the End...but this time, Naruto won. After his defeat, in which both he and Naruto lost one of their arms, Sasuke was held in prison to await trial for his criminal actions, and likely would have been found guilty, had it not been for Naruto's enthusiastic defense of his friend. The outburst was enough to convince the Fire Daimyō to award a full pardon to Sasuke and even reinstate his shinobi status, although unlike his recently promoted former teammate, Sasuke was still only of Genin rank. After parting ways with his old teammates, Sasuke went back into the wild to begin his quest for redemption, which he knew he could only complete outside the village.

(Cut to a more crudely assembled clip montage and MOTOKO continues expositing.)

MOTOKO: Over the next five years, during which he would periodically return to the village to take the Chūnin and Jōnin exams, which he passed with relative ease, Sasuke reunited with his old Taka teammates to start doing good in the name of Konoha and the newly established Shinobi Alliance. Unfortunately, many of these missions were of a top secret nature and _Konoha Tonight_ was not successful in getting much information from the Hokage's office and especially from Uchiha himself. What _is_ known is that Uchiha's Taka were responsible for crushing no less than three coup d'etats from smaller, neighboring villages, capturing and arresting no less than ten missing-nin from all of the Five Great Nations, and even helped to save an entire village from complete destruction during a natural disaster. During this time, the team also picked up a fifth companion, a mysterious and irreverent mercenary known as Randamu. We spoke with Randamu one-on-one, and he had this to say:

(Cut to a previously recorded interview with RANDAMU, who is sitting down with MOMOKO and fighting to urge to scratch himself on camera in inappropriate places.)

RANDAMU: HI EVERYBODY! Randamu here. Glad to see _somebody_ on this show had the sense to interview me. Lord knows the audience on the _other_ side of the Fourth Wall has just about had it with all this exposition crap. Okay, you want to ask me about Sasuke? He's great, love that guy. A bit too emo for his own good though, ain't I right? I mean, come on dude! Just do us all a favor and suck Naruto's [EXPLITIVE] and be done with it!

MOMOKO: Sir, you can't say that on television.

RANDAMU: Bull[Exploitive]! I have my basic rights to uphold, so if I want to say those seven taboo words, then damn it I will! [EXPLITIVE, [EXPLITIVE, [EXPLITIVE, [EXPLITIVE, [EXPLITIVE, [EXPLITIVE, and [EXPLITIVE]!

MOMOKO: Mr. Randamu! We have CHILDREN watching this show with their parents!

RANDAMU: No, I'm pretty sure kids are more interested in watching that Sentai crap instead of us. Say, I see you don't have a ring on your finger. How about after this interview is over you and I get out of here and go hit a [EXPLITIVE] disco?

MOMOKO: (Furious) Cut the feed!

(The screen goes to static, before with cut back to MOMOKO live in the studio again.)

MOMOKO: (Embarrassed.) Umm...yes, well...After five years of service to his village, Sasuke Uchiha was given yet another honor, or rather two. He was appointed the best man at his former teammate's wedding and was later made the godfather of their first born son, Shinachiku, and then later their daughter, Hanami. Over the next twelve years, Sasuke found himself starting a family of his own with his current teammate Karin, together having a daughter named Sarada.

(Cut back to more of the interview with KARIN.)

KARIN: Well, I can't say that our marriage has been easy. Sasuke and I definitely had some, err, issues from the past that needed to be straightened out. But those memories of all of us on the road with Sarada, I wouldn't trade those for anything.

(Cut back to MOMOKO narrating over more stills).

MOMOKO: During the next twelve years, with his family and team in tow, Sasuke made perhaps his greatest contribution to the village's current prosperity. He uncovered evidence of the secret society Taka, stealing the name of his own team, to remake the ninja world the way they want it, in a perversion of the corrupt believes that he himself once believed in. In his investigation Sasuke also uncovered the myth of the mysterious Chakra Gems, seven multicolored relics that each contain a different, godlike power. Leaning that Taka had found another such gem in a place where only those with Uzumaki blood can access, Sasuke sought permission to bring his godson on a mission with him to the remains of the Hidden Whirlpool Village to recover it. The request was granted, and this set off a series of events that resulted in the young boy learning the truth behind the deception, undercover Taka agents hunting down Naruto and Sakura Uzumaki like fugitives, the recovery of the chakra gem, the revelation of familiar faces returned from the dead, and finally a titanic civil battle across the entire village as those loyal to the Hokage fought to defeat the double agents that were hiding amongst their own ranks. Sasuke himself joined his best friend in mortal combat with the empowered traitor Uragi Rimonō in a battle the likes of which this village had never seen. But it was in the second phase of this battle that Sasuke's quest for redemption was finally brought to completion...by giving his life to save his own godson. While this death was quickly remedied by use of one of the chakra gems, as far as Naruto and Sakura are concerned, their friend had finally proven himself a hero:

(Cut to an on-the-street interview with NARUTO as he is leaving the office.)

NARUTO: Sasuke, I... My son is alive now because of you. Everything that happened that day, everything we know now, its all because of you. Don't let anybody ever tell you that you aren't a good person. _Nobody_ with pure evil in their heart could do what I saw that day.

(Cut back to the interview with SAKURA.)

SAKURA: He convinced me that he deserves a second chance...and he proved it that night. Even if he and I never ended up together, he will always have a place in my heart.

MOTOKO: (Off screen) Do you ever wonder what your life might have been like if you had married him instead of Naruto?

(SAKURA takes a long pause not saying anything...)

(Cut back to MOTOKO narrating over a final clip montage.)

MOTOKO: Since the arrest of Uragi, Sasuke Uchiha has chosen to move his family into Konoha as full time citizens, with Sasuke himself taking a job as a captain of the Anbu Black Ops, often working alongside fellow captain Sai Yamanaka. His appointment has not gone without some controversy though, with the Hokage's promotion of his best friend to such a position raising some accusations of nepotism within his ranks. This on top of the unrest Naruro has already caused by ordering multiple internal affairs investigations to weed out corruption within the village.

(Cut to a random shinobi being interviewed on the street.)

SHINOBI: I don't care whether he is the Hokage or not! Why should some two-bit scumbag like Uchiha get put into Anbu while many of my friends are getting stripped of rank left and right! That ain't right, and you can quote me on that!

(Wipe back to MOTOKO in the studio.)

MOTOKO: Since his promotion, Sasuke has led up a number of raids on uncovered Taka strongholds, and has teamed up with his old Hebi teammates to follow up leads of the organization's activity throughout the Land of Fire. But until the final results of these endeavors can be confirmed in the long term, the fate of the village remains uncertain.

(MOTOKO turns to face another camera.)

MOTOKO: Thanks so much for watching us. Join us in two weeks as we profile another one of Konoha's familiar faces and one of it's most rising stars, the Hokage's very own son, Shinachiku Uzumaki, head of newly formed Chakra Gem Recovery Squad for the Shinobi Union. And don't miss next week's show, when my colleague Daisuke Kishiyama takes us through Konoha's underworld in an attempt to expose the bizarre criminal and Taka-related elements that pose a threat to us all. I'm Motoko Katsuragi, and this is _Konoha Tonight_.

(Fade to black; cut to end title card.)


	4. Episode III--Escalation

("KONOHA TONIGHT" title card appears and then fades out to show the host, DAISUKE KISHIYAMA, at his desk to deliver the evening news.)

DAISUKE: Crime. It is as common to a modern day society as air and water. And as long as there is a group of people who live and want, there will always be individuals willing to do anything they can, rob, cheat or kill, to satisfy their needs. But in Konoha, crime has started to emanate from a different place. Since the reveal of Taka's existence and particularly over the last few weeks, there's been a rise in crimes without motive, that are so demented, none of us can understand why they were committed. I'm Daisuke Kishiyama. And tonight we delve into the city's underground to get a status report on just how bad it is on our streets. Now, we do this not to frighten you. We do this only to inform you of a growing problem that threatens our city. The last thing we want is for you to be a situation similar to what Koichi and Hikari Shida found themselves in with their 12-year-old son.

(Cut to a story called "Swallowed Up Into Hell: The Takato Shida Story", produced by Irina Momochi)

MR. SHIDA: The Anbu said, um, he took something they call Ecstasy. It's supposed to give you a feeling of euphoria. It's still hard for us to, uh, believe what happened, especially to a boy like Takato.

DAISUKE: (Off screen) Did he ever use drugs before, or was that night the first time?

MR. SHIDA: As far as we know—

MRS. SHIDA: It's the _only_ time he ever took drugs. _Ever._

(Cut to narration by DAISUKE)

DAISUKE: Koichi and Hikari's son, Takato, graduated from the Academy last May and was ready to have his first meeting with his new team and Jōnin instructor, when he and his friends celebrated the night away here, at the Mashura bar and nightclub. Known for lax drinking enforcement and an abundance of recreational drugs, underage ninja of all kinds came here to experiment with a life that their parents tried so hard to keep them from. That night, presumably under peer pressure, it was Takato Shida's turn. Upon ingesting the drug called Ecstasy, Takato and his friends left the bar intoxicated where they were mugged by a pair of rogue ninja on the run from the Anbu Black Ops. Attempting to use the studies he had mastered at the Academy, Takato tried to defend himself and his friends from their attackers, only to find that he was unable to access any of his chakra. Forced to rely solely on taijutsu, a difficult feat in and of itself in his drug-induced state, Takato was mugged and nearly beaten to death by the assailants. His friends contacted the authorities and rushed him to the hospital.

(Cut to another interview with MRS. SHIDA)

MRS. SHIDA: After they called us, we rushed to the hospital, and there he was, bones broken, breathing through a respirator, barely conscious. The doctors had to perform emergency surgery on him because none of the healing techniques he'd been taught were doing a damned thing for him. They didn't know what was wrong with him. We were terrified.

(Cut back to narration by DAISUKE)

DAISUKE: The boy's pain was unending, alarming Takato's doctors and the other medical examiners that this was something more than just a bad trip. Theorizing that the drugs may have been laced with a malicious substance, Takato's blood was tested for traces of foreign chemicals. What they found frightened everyone. Takato's bloodstream was laden with the chemical compound used by Taka scientists to produce their chakra nullifying red serum. The same serum that helped Uragi Rimonō and his agents to nearly destroy all of Konoha.

(The story ends as we fade back into the main show, with DAISUKE on set with a guest.)

DAISUKE: Mr. Hagiwara writes the crime beat for _The Konoha Times_. He's also written two books on the history of criminal and rogue ninja activity in and outside of Konoha, and is writing a third on the terrorist attack committed by Taka last year. And also joining us tonight via telefeed is Lady Shiho, current head of Konoha's cryptanalysis team.

(Cut to a split screen to show SHIHO, in her mid thirties, in her office.)

SHIHO: (Adjusting her glasses) Good evening Daisuke.

DAISUKE: Thank you. Mr. Hagiwara, this is some scary stuff we're dealing with here.

HAGIWARA: Scary indeed.

DAISUKE: Now, before we get into this further and discuss whether Taka or Uragi Rimonō are behind it all, let's start off with where Taka allegedly stands these days. Uragi Rimonō was ousted as the leader of Taka's secret cell within Konoha. He was then sentenced to life in prison, reported unable to use any jutsu due to the damage done to his body in battle with Shinachiku Uzumaki. Recently, Sandosupai of Sunagakure has been accused of leading the Taka cell within the Sand Village and is about to stand trial.

HAGIWARA: Well, you know, Daisuke, what's really interesting about all this is that Uragi's removal from power has not only forced other leaders within Taka's organization to take greater care in protecting themselves, but seemingly has motivated many of them to regroup and tighten their control. A remarkable feat, given that the expected response would have been for them to go after pieces of Uragi's empire.

DAISUKE: What are you trying to say Mr. Hagiwara?

SHIHO: I can answer that question if you don't mind Daisuke?

DAISUKE: Go ahead miss Shiho.

SHIHO: Well, decrypted coded messages, tapped phone calls and email investigation have suggested that Sandosupai and the rest of Taka's leaders have been, uh, banding together. And statistics support this, as there's been absolutely no incidences of violence or any kind of power struggle between Taka's factions in the last year since the power vacuum left open from Uragi's defeat. As Mr. Hagiwara said, a remarkable feat.

DAISUKE: Mr. Hagiwara, Lady Shiho, wait a second. What you're saying, then, is that this is some sort of détente?

HAGIWARA: No, no, what we're saying—It's some kind of conglomeration. The different factions of Taka have regrouped and, perhaps, even begun further recruiting to strengthen back up their syndicate. Which, to be blunt, is far worse than having them come to blows with each other.

DAISUKE: Okay hold on, hold on. Let me stop you right there. You are saying that Taka are reunifying, but reunifying under _who?_

HAGIWARA: We don't know.

DAISUKE: You don't know?

SHIHO: Afraid not Daisuke. My team has contributed to multiple investigations by the Anbu Black Ops investigation squads authorized by the Seventh Hokage, but so far all of those investigations have frustratingly turned up no evidence of any kind of the alleged supreme leader of Taka.

DAISUKE: Well then how do we even know that such a leader exists?

SHIHO: Mainly do to claims of that person's existence by Uragi Rimo—

DAISUKE: And why then would we, _should_ we, trust the word of a known terrorist? A man who used a _magical gem_ to turn himself into a god and nearly wipe this entire village off the map?

HAGIWARA: Would you rather simply reject the word of the one Taka leader the Shinobi Union has in their custody, even after we have only gathered so much data on Taka in a year's time of investigating? Daisuke, we cannot afford to pass up on any leads here.

DAISUKE: But then why is it taking so long Mr. Hagiwara? Why havn't men like Lord Hokage, Sasuke Uchiha, or even Shinachiku Uzumaki succeeded in finding out who this true leader of Taka is after all this time?

HAGIWARA: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Shinachiku Uzumaki, all of them all powerful and brilliant shinobi that are all actively investigating every lead they are receiving on this subject, but they can't do it alone and, quite frankly, they don't have time to commit themselves to this one priority absolutely Daisuke. The Shinobi Union and this village are facing some _major_ threats, including some that seem to have nothing to do with Taka. What happened to the Shida kid? Tip of the iceberg.

DAISUKE: You bring up a good point. Now what about this case, Mr. Hagiwara, Lady Shiho? The Anbu say that all of Taka's charka serum that proved to be one of their most dangerous weapons during the infiltration has all been confiscated and cured. The situation with these spiked drugs speaks to a very different situation.

HAGIWARA: Well, what we know, as was openly acknowledged by Lady Sakura Uzumaki herself, is that the antidote that was developed to cure both of Taka's serums was co-developed with the aid of missing-nin Kabuto Yakushi. We also know that Kabuto was himself offered a position within Taka's ranks at one point, but according to him turned it down, again, testimony from Lady Sakura.

SHIHO: Furthermore, there has been no evidence that Orochimaru himself had any involvement in these events whatsoever.

DAISUKE: So you're suggesting that Kabuto Yakushi is the one that has been spiking these drugs?

SHIHO: There's no way to be sure Daisuke. The possibility that Taka is attempting to redistribute the serum in this manner is still on the table, and is the potential of Kabuto's involvement. But it's also possible that this was caused by the greedy meddling of a third, unrelated party.

DAISUKE: Like whom?

HAGIWARA: (Sighing) Daisuke, the Anbu won't like me telling you this, but during the attack on the village last year, a number of inmates at the Strict Correctional Facility managed to escape custody during the attack.

DAISUKE: Wait, _what?!_

HAGIWARA: I have it confirmed from my sources that the Elders and, _possibly_ , the Hokage himself, have ordered this escape covered up to avoid any further panic among the villagers. Luckily, most of the escapees have been found and reincarcerated, save for _one_ prisoner that I suspect the Hokage has a particular interest in recapturing.

DAIUSKE: And who might that be Mr. Hagiwara?

HAGIWARA: A former Chūnin, Academy instructor, and acquaintance of Orochimaru named Mizuki. I trust you have read the Hokage's book, Daisuke?

DAISUKE: Yes.

HAGIWARA: Then you are most likely aware of this man's role in Lord Seventh's early childhood, and why Naruto would want him behind bars yet again.

DAISUKE: Lady Shiho, do we know what happened to Mizuki?

SHIHO: _No one_ knows Daisuke... _But_ , there have been several sightings of a man who fits Mizuki's description committing a number of suspicious activities in some of the smaller villages within the Land of Fire and beyond.

HAGIWARA: Indeed. Lady Shiho and I are both inclined to believe that these sightings are indeed valid because of one recurring, though confusing, detail in them all.

DAISUKE: Which is?

HAGIWARA: The reports all claim that the man in question often takes the form of a tiger-like being with great strength, which was part of a power boost that Orochimaru had once supplied Mizuki with in the past...Strangely though, there were side effects that were believed to have left him an emaciated old man with no ninja capacities left, so we aren't sure how he could have recovered from this.

DAISUKE: _(Shaking his head in bewilderment)_ This certainly is some very strange stuff.

SHIHO: Ha, ha. _Strange?_ A man with an extra finger is _strange_ , Daisuke. This—This is _alarming_! My only hope is that it doesn't get any worse. But when you hear stories like the one about the large shipment of ammonium nitrate that was stolen off the docks off the coast of the Land of Fire last week by a team of seven perpetrators in multi-colored masks and cloaks with completely inhuman strength and speed, and who's leader was crazy enough to crush a man's _skull_ apart with his _bare hands_ before laughing into the _surveillance camera_...I start to think maybe it's time to move to another village! You have any idea what a lunatic like that can do with that much ammonium nitrate, Daisuke?

DAISUKE: Well, build a bomb, potentially.

SHIHO: No, no. Build a **big** bomb.

DAISUKE: Let me ask you this in our remaining thirty seconds, Mr. Hagiwara. There is, to me, no doubt here that there is a growing trend of deranged crimes that are being perpetrated not only by Taka, but by equally deranged individuals, for motives that are unknown to us all. Is there anything we, the people, can do to stop this? Can we, or the village authorities, do nothing to return things back to the way they once were, and do it sooner rather than later?

HAGIWARA: I can give you an answer to your question Daisuke, but its not going to be the one that you want to hear. Taka coming out of the shadows changed everything, both for good and for bad. And those changes seem to be here to stay, whether we like it or not. I hate to say it Daisuke, but things always have to get worse before they can get better.

DAISUKE: Lady Shiho?

SHIHO: (Adjusting her glasses) I'm afraid I have to agree once again Daisuke. Until men like Sandosupai and this Taka leader, whomever he or she is, are behind bars, I fear that Konoha, and maybe the entire ninja world, might be in for some really dark days ahead.

DAISUKE: (Sighiing) Mr. Hagiwara, Lady Shiho, we thank you for both for being with us today.

(DAISUKE turns his head to another camera)

DAISUKE: And thank _you_ for watching. Please join me in two weeks for an interview with the former elder of Sunogakure, Lord Sandosupai, who claims the Kazekage, the Hokage, and the other leaders of the Shinobi Union should be the _real_ defendants in the Union's case against him. And next week, tune into Motoko Katsuragi's profile on the rising star within Konohagakure, Shinachiku Uzumaki. Will the young hero and his team succeed in locating to remaining chakra gems that Taka are allegedly still after? Or is the boy's appointment to his new position of power a sign of nepotism on the Hokage's part, that the leaders of the Shinobi Union should be concerned about? I'm Daisuke Kishiyama. Good evening. This is _Konoha Tonight_.

(Fade to black; cut to end title card.)


	5. Episode IV--Konoha's Rising Star

(KONOHA TONIGHT title card appears and then fades out to show a clip montage of the civil war that broke out within Konoha a year ago after the exposure of Taka. Accompanying the montage is narration by the host, MOTOKO KATSURAGI.)

MOKOTO: In the wake of the devastation that occurred in Konoha, Leaf Ninja, and Anbu Black Ops in particular, came under heavy criticism for their infiltration by Taka double agents and for its failure to recognize this threat and prevent the terrorist plot to destroy the village. Subsequently, a series of Internal Affairs investigations headed up by Lord Seventh Hokage himself, Naruto Uzumaki, revealed a pervasive level of corruption throughout his own ranks. In desperate need of a face-lift and seeing Taka as a still ongoing threat, Lord Seventh lobbied his fellow kages and leaders of the newly established Shinobi Union to create an elite investigative squad made up of some the most promising young ninja of the new generation, a squad solely dedicated to investigating and claiming the remaining mythic 'chakra gems' that the organization are still after. The request was granted, on the condition that the squad was to be led by a promising young shinobi with an exemplary history of heroism and duty and the proven ability to get the results. That young man is our very own Shinachiku Uzumaki.

(Fade to MOTOKO, herself, standing in front of a green screen projecting an aerial view of the village behind her.)

MOTOKO: Good evening everyone. I'm Motoko Katsuragi, and tonight we profile Konoha's top Chūnin, examining his rise to power and his current command over the elite Chakra Gem Recovery Squad. Does Shinachiku really have what it takes to protect this village and the Union, or will his youth, limited experience, questionable appointment by his own father, and the rumored past influence of the chakra gems upon his own mind, demand the Union leaders to investigate the most rising star of Konoha's new generation?

(Cut to title card: "Konoha's Rising Star: Shinachiku Uzumaki", produced by Shinji Akage)

(Cut to narration by MOTOKO as we begin the clip segment)

MOTOKO: The morning after the deadly attack on the village that infected thousands of residents and loyal shinobi with a chakra-dampening serum, set free inmates from the Strict Correctional Facility, exposed the defection and treachery of literally hundreds of Leaf ninja, and also provoked riots that lasted for weeks as authorities fought to regain order. Young Shinachiku Uzumaki was praised for exposing the terrorist group's influence on the village and all over the world and for thwarting the treacherous leader, former village elder Uragi Rimonō. Likewise, the boy's father and mother, previously wanted criminals from their own village for charges of hiding sensitive information, were both instantly cleared of all charges once the truth was exposed and they, along with many of their oldest and most loyal allies, including former missing-nin and teammate Sasuke Uchiha, helped the young ninja to defeat Uragi's threat. Despite all of this, the Konoha shinobi forces were still condemned by the public and the press for the widespread infiltration and their failure to root out this corruption beforehand and prevent this disaster. The Seventh Hokage sidestepped charges of negligence by detailing the heroism of himself and his allies, particularly of his own son, who valiantly led several of his generation in getting the news out of Taka's plans during last year's Kage Summit, and who risked the ultimate sacrifice by allowing himself to face the then-divinely powered Uragi in a final battle within his _own mind_.

(Cut to a new montage of still images and archival footage as MOTOKO continues narrating.)

MOTOKO: Born on November 7 thirteen years ago, Shinachiku Uzumaki seems to be one of those children that was always destined for greatness. The first born child of Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, and his wife, Fifth Hokage's apprentice Sakura Haruno, as well as the grandson of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, young Shinachiku was born into a life of wealth, prestige, and high expectations, and it seemed clear from early on that he had the potential to meet the demands.

(Cut to an interview with SHINO ABURAME, Shinachiku's former teacher at the Academy.)

SHINO: I could tell from the first moment that boy came into my classroom that he was going to go far. He answered all of the questions properly, he participated in all activities, he did well on all of his tests, he was well mannered...Now that I think about it, some of the other students may have been jealous of his popularity and called him a bookworm for his IQ. But, really, I think most of that was just them jealous because so many of the girls were interested in him.

(Cut back to more still images with more narration by MOTOKO.)

MOTOKO: Upon graduation, Shinachiku was placed on a two-man squad led by Jōnin Konohamaru Sarutobi, a former friend and semi-rival and pupil of the boy's father during their youths. Reasons for the boy never being assigned any teammates have never been made clear, but rumors claim that all applicants for the positions mysteriously backed out at the last minute, while other rumors suggest that the appointment came from the Hokage directly.

(Cut to an interview with KONOHAMARU.)

KONOHAMARU: I can tell you, with absolute confidence, that I could not have asked for a better student than Shina. He's like a surrogate son to me in a lot of ways. Training him to help him become what he is today is my way of thanking Nii-chan for everything he did for me.

(Cut back to more clips with MOTOKO narrating.)

MOTOKO: It ought to be noted, however, that in addition to his training under Sarutobi, Shinachiku also received additional training from his father and mother, as well as a few complimentary lessons from some of his parent's closest friends, such as Lady Hinata Hyūga and Rock Lee.

(Cut to an interview with HINATA at her and KIBA'S home.)

HINATA: Oh, Shinachiku's a wonderful boy. Naruto and Sakura have done such a wonderful job raising him and his sister. (Smiling cutely.) They like to call my their Aunt Hinata, you now.

(Cut to another interview with ROCK LEE.)

LEE: Yosh! Shina-kun is an awesome young shinobi who has the Springtime of Youth burning inside of him like a white-hot cinder! Dare I say that he may be second best of his generation to my own son Burandon! Yosh!

(Cut to another interview with Naruto's adviser, SHIKAMARU NARA.)

SHIKAMARU: No, Shina strikes me as a pretty normal kid, all things considered. Mine and Ino's sons like to go to his house all the time to play video games when they aren't training. I'm happy that his fame never seems to have gone to his head...Trust me, the last thing that kid needs is his father's ego.

(Cut to another attempted interview with SASUKE UCHIHA.)

SASUKE: What? Why are you people—? (Groaning.) Look, Shinachiku's a good kid and a promising ninja, but that's all I'm going to say. I've got a lot of work, _real_ work, to do right now. I _don't_ have time for this. Excuse me.

(Cut back to narration by MOTOKO)

MOTOKO: Young Shinachiku's fame among his peers, along with his prestigious heritage, made him something of a local celebrity within the village. But despite his success during his training, the boy secretly yearned for an adventure to arise during times of peace so he could put is skills to the test. That day came unexpectedly, when he was visited at his home during evening hours by none other than his godfather, Sasuke Uchiha, who requested to take to boy with him on a mission to the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools to recover one of the seven Chakra Gems, ancient and powerful relics created by the goddess Kaguya Ōtsutsuki herself, that each possessed a different power equivalent those of a god. The request was granted by the boy's parents, and young Shinachiku went on an adventure of a lifetime, that turned out to be far different than anything he ever could have imagined.

(Wipe to another series of images as MOTOKO keeps narrating.)

MOTOKO: Upon nearing the Land of Whirlpools, Shianchiku learned that the real purpose of his mission was to recover the chakra gem before the intervention of the secret society known as Taka could claim it first. With the aid of his childhood friend Sarada Uchiha, Shinachiku succeeded in recovering the gem, but perhaps not without some consequences. Rumors have claimed that consistent contact with the chakra gem allowed the relic to influence the boy's young and developing mind, creating a lust for the power that the gem possessed that often took the form of terrible, violent outbursts. Regrettably, the Hokage's office refused to confirm these claims to _Konoha Tonight_.

(Cut to an interview with an angry NARUTO UZUMAKI.)

NARUTO: There's no truth to those rumors! If something like that had happened to my own son, do you people _really_ think that I would have recommended him for command of a squad devoted to recovering still _more_ of the gems? No further comment thank you, I'm late for another meeting. Excuse me.

MOTOKO: Upon returning to the village during the Kage Summit, Shinachiku Uzumaki himself used a secret intercom in his father's office to send a message to the entire village about the organization's infiltration, motivating those still loyal to Konoha to rise up and protect their home from Taka's betrayal. The speech worked and soon the civil war that set Konoha ablaze as Taka was confronted, and eventually defeated, was fought, a battle the likes of which Konoha had not seem since Pain's near-total destruction of the village many years ago. At the climax of this battle, when Uragi Rimonō transformed himself into a monster with the power of the gem recovered from the Land of Whirlpools, Shinachiku used the power of some of the other gems formally in Taka's possession to transport Uragi into the boy's own mind for a final battle, a battle that, miraculously, ended in victory.

(Cut to another series of still images with MOKOTO'S narration.)

MOTOKO: Shinachiku's clean record, unbreakable determination, and his undisputed acts of heroism make his widely considered as the modern-day equivalent to his father's own example during his youth, generating good press for a corrupted ninja force desperately in need of it. The good press quickly went south though when, ironically, Lord Seventh Hokage himself spearheaded multiple aggressive Internal Affairs investigations into his village's ninja ranks and the Anbu Black Ops in order to weed out any and all remaining Taka spies within the village, encouraging his fellow kages to do the same with their own forces. Among the several indicted, and posthumously convicted, was one of the Hokage's highest ranking Anbu, Captain Odaku. These investigations, leading to many convictions and decommissionings, provoked outrage among the ninja ranks who had to see many of their trusted comrades stripped of their jobs.

(Cut to an interview with elder HOMURA MITOKADO.)

HOMURA: I don't condone the actions of the shinobi that were convicted, but if I showed you how much the village budget allows us to pay them, you might understand why somebody may slip from time to time. But rather then acknowledge that problem, though, Naruto instead risks _further_ anarchy by making waves by saying that the whole _institution_ is corrupt! Well, as the Hokage of this village I think if anyone is to blame for Taka getting influence over our way of life it's Naruto himself! Furthermore, he chooses to respond to this crisis by appointing his own son as leader of a squad devoted to finding the remaining gems before our enemies? Classic nepotism right there! Now, if you don't mind, I have a meeting to run to. Excuse me.

(Cut back to narration from MOTOKO.)

MOTOKO: Anointing Shinachiku as the head of Chakra Gem Recovery Squad restored credibility to the village. City leaders brandished the new division an incorruptible force of youth and justice...This first year of service has challenged that notion, though, as Uzumaki and his CGRS have yet to find _any_ of the three unaccounted for gems, while conducting some curious investigations. This, despite allegedly possessing a scroll that contains a map to the gem's locations. Could it be that Taka had beaten them to the remaining gem's location first? Or could a third party have discovered them and they now reside in the possession of private collectors? Or, perhaps, does the age of the members of this new squad and the often accused nepotistic appointment of it's leader, make Shinachiku and the CGRS unfit for this responsibility? Or, perhaps most striking a possibility of all, could this so call "incorruptible force of youth and justice" actually have a Taka mole within their ranks as well and not even realize it? Although the Shinobi Union is not exploring the matter at this time, a leak from Union headquarters stated that at least one Chūnin within CGRS, a mysterious boy known only as Mitsuki, has been considered a person of interest. Shinachiku himself made a quick statement on the subject, as well as his squad's difficulty in completing their mission:

(Cut to an on-the-street interview with SHINACHIKU.)

SHINACHIKU: Look, Mitsuki is a good guy, and he's been a terrific help to me and my team. I know that a lot of his past is a blank, but to me, the work and the character are what matters and I have found absolutely no reason to distrust him whatsoever. As for our progress in finding the gems...(Pauses to think about what to say)...We are currently investigating a promising lead right now to the location of one of the gems. And no, I am not at liberty to discuss the details at this time.

REPORTER: What about your relationship with Sarada Uchiha? How do you respond to some of the accusations of incest, given that her mother hails from the Uzumaki clan?

SHINACHIKU: (Groaning in irritation) Look, Karin is an Uzumaki, but a very, very distant relation to my dad, nothing direct. Trust me, Sarada and I both looked into it, our relationship is not incestuous in any way. Sarada is an _Uchiha_ , not and Uzumaki, and I am _done_ answering questions on the subject!

REPORTER: What about the rumors going around the village that your mother might be pregnant with another child?

SHINACHIKU: ...I'm sorry, _what?!_

(Cut back to MOTOKO, back in the studio.)

MOTOKO: Shinachiku may reject one of his teammate's rumored association with Taka, but if there's any truth to it, then it's hardly a laughing matter in the light of recent murders of two Shinobi Union associates.

(Cut to censored still images as MOTOKO narrates.)

MOTOKO: Last Wednesday morning, two teachers and a group of school children discovered the dead bodies of Koushiro Nagisa and Jou Tachikawa bound, gagged, and tied to opposite ends of a seesaw. If you wanted to know where the Union keeps its money, _these_ are two good men to ask. The murders happened in a village where Shinachiku and his team were conducting investigations. Could the mysterious Mitsuki, or someone else in the young prodigy's team, have committed crimes on Taka's payroll? And most important, if the CGRS, the squad working to beat Taka to a potential weapon of mass destruction, actually has a Taka agent among them working to undermine their efforts, then the incorruptible force of youth and justice may not be quite so incorruptible after all. If that is the case, then all this village may have left is the Seventh Hokage.

(Wipe back to MOTOKO in the studio.)

MOTOKO: Thanks for watching. Join us again in two weeks for a spotlight on one the most infamous names in Konoha's history, former elder and Taka leader Uragi Rimonō. Find out more about the war criminal's past, and we'll also see if we can get a better insight on just what kind of state the traitor is living in a year after his attempt to destroy the village failed. Up next week though, we will be seeing a change of plans in our schedule. With the momentary postponement of the trial of Sandosupai, our scheduled interview with the supposed Taka leader will be pushed back to a later date. Instead, come back next week for a special piece we call "Science meets Mythology," highlighting some of the newest and most exciting advances in technology that will and are changing the world for the better, as well as look back to the past to examine some of this world's most ancient and long forgotten legends, and see if they may still play a part in defining our future. For _Konoha Tonight_ , I'm Motoko Katsuragi. Good night.

(Fade to black; cut to end title card.)


	6. Episode V--Science Meets Mythology

("KONOHA TONIGHT" title card appears and then fades out to show the host, DAISUKE KISHIYAMA, at his desk to deliver the evening news.)

DAISUKE: Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I'm Daisuke Kishiyama, and this is _Konoha Tonight_. Those of you tuning in will notice a change in this evening's broadcast. Originally, our plan was to conduct an interview with alleged aka leader Sandosupai, in order to get his perspective on his pending trial. However, since the trial has seen a momentary postponement, we have instead decided to present you with a different kind of show this evening.

(Turns to face another camera.)

DAISUKE: As many of you are aware, the time since the end of the Fourth Great Shinobi War has seen multiple technological breakthroughs that have revolutionized the world and helped transform the Hidden Leaf Village into the fully realized metropolis that looms over the Hokage Rock. And with the crusade against Taka pressing ever forward, these innovations are projected to continue even further... And yet, as society looks toward a mechanized future, it is also important for us not to loose sight of our past, some of those ancient myths and legends that have shaped some the culture of our world. Tonight, we will be speaking with experts from both sides of the spectrum, in a segment we like to call "Science meets Mythology." Joining me in the studio tonight are Katasuke Tōno, tokubetsu jōnin from Konoha's Science Ninja Weapons Team.

KATASUKE: Good evening Daisuke.

DAISUKE: As well as Inari, carpenter from the Land of Waves and head of the Konoha Reconstruction Project, which is now nearing its end after nearly a year since the devastation caused by the Taka invasion.

INARI: Great to be here Daisuke. Big fan!

DAISUKE: Thank you. And also joining us tonight via telefeed all the way from Iwagakure, we have Gunpei Yamane, professor of mythology and folklore. Thank you so much for joining us this evening professor.

(Cut to a split screen to show DAISUKE on one side of the screen, and on the other side an older gentleman with graying hair, a short beard, and a formal suit. PROFESSOR YAMANE is sitting at his desk in his office.)

YAMANE: Thank you for inviting me Daisuke.

DAISUKE: Very well then, lets get started. Katasuke, you and your team have reportedly come up with some fascinating and revolutionary proposals in the last few years. I understand one of them is something called a 'kote,' some sort of device that can allow any ninja to perform any jutsu they wish without using any chakra. Explain.

KATASUKE: I'd be happy to. In fact...(Rolls up his sleeve to reveal his is wearing the device on his forearm.) ...I have it on me right here. Worn on the forearm, a shinobi can initiate one of their techniques before sealing them into a scroll. The scroll is then shrunken to pill-size as you can see here...(Pulls out a tiny scroll)...and then is inserted into the device. In battle, the ninja can then release the scroll and use the sealed technique. The beauty of this device is that it doesn't require chakra, therefore the user can gain an advantage in battle by releasing what would normally be a chakra-taxing technique while saving their chakra or continuing to use techniques when low on chakra, thereby keeping the user rested and less-likely to endure exhaustion. For example, one no longer needs to train to learn the Fireball jutsu, one merely has to insert the scroll in the Kote and the device will do the rest for you.

DAISUKE: Fascinating. What about elemental techniques?

KATASUKE: Well, admittedly, the user will be required to form the corresponding seal first, but that is only a minor inconvenience.

INARI: Ha! I don't think that Naruto would take too kindly to any of his ninja using a glorified cheating device.

KATASUKE: (Annoyed.) Lord Seventh was...less than enthused with my team's initial pitch, I'll admit. I recall him describing it as an insult to the hard work and dedication and sacrifice it takes to be a shinobi. _But_ , that is why my appearance on the show tonight will be beneficial. When shinobi young and old learn what this device is capable of, they will understand its value as a new kind of ninja tool. Taka would not stand a chance against an army of Leaf ninja wielding some of the most powerful jutsu on a mass production level.

INARI: (Folding his arms, unimpressed) I have seen Leaf ninja save my village and my grandfather from evil men before, some of those ninja are among my oldest friends. What they did that day, they accomplished through skill and hard work. _Real_ work. Your little toy can never replace that.

KATASUKE: _Skill_ , as you call it, is becoming more and more irrelevant day by day. I wish I had an entire broadcast to argue all the benefits of the breakthroughs in human genetic engineering.

DAISUKE: _Genetic engineering?_

KATASUKE: Oh yes Daisuke. Picture a human infant pre-planned with the ideal genes and traits. A couple can receive _exactly_ the child they want, rather than having to be slave to the often unpredictable laws of nature. A colleague of mine from Kirigakure, Dr. Yokoi, suggests that we can create human that are completely immune to disease, that are naturally stronger, smarter, and overall _better_ in ever possible way to normal man. Human perfection. A new breed of _super_ men, if you will.

YAMANE: Perfection, as you call it, is something that nature had figured out long, _long_ ago young man. The kind of human power you talk about is insignificant next to the power of the four Guardian Beasts.

INARI: (Confused) The _what?_

DAISUKE: Professor Yamane, you have spent your life studying ancient myths and folklore across all the nations and villages in the shinobi world. Why do you choose to devote your career to learning about old, forgotten legends that most of our younger viewers aren't even aware of, much less believe in? Why do you choose to keep your eyes on the past rather than looking to the future?

YAMANE: Daisuke, without the past, they can _be_ no future.

DAISUKE: Explain.

YAMANE: Myths and legends are always based in some element of truth. Truth can unlock the correct path, the enlightened path. It can awaken our relationships to higher powers beyond our potential, creatures that of divine origin that have lived amongst up an watched over us and, perhaps, helped us to evolve into what we are today. Besides, there is an old saying that those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.

(Silence in the studio as DAISUKE, KATASUKE, and INARI all take in what the professor has said.)

DAISUKE: ...I see... Professor, you mentioned earlier something to do with four "Guardian Beasts", I believe it was? Why don't you explain to our viewers what exactly they are?

YAMANE: Certainly. Legend tells that thousands of years ago, before any of the shinobi nations or villages were ever founded and even before the days of Kaguya or the tailed beasts, there were four gigantic, divine creatures that roamed the land. Each of these creatures ruled over a quadrant of the globe and each of which possesses incredible powers. To the north, in the oceans near the Land of Lightning, lives Genbu, the Island Turtle. To the east, on some uncharted island in the Land of Water, lives Seiryū, the Legendary Dragon. To the south, somewhere in the deserts of the Land of Wind, lives Suzaku, the Immortal Phoenix. And to the west, in the mountains of the Land of Earth, is the home of Byakko, the Spirit Tiger. Each of the four nations has its own legend or superstition about these creatures, some claiming that finding them bestows one with luck, others says they can grant wishes, other's say the can bestow eternal youth, infinite knowledge, vast wealth, visions of the future, or even a means to look into one's own soul and face their inner demons.

(Silence in the studio as DAISUKE, KATASUKE, and INARI all take in what the professor has said.)

DAISUKE: I see...Well, thank you for that, err... _fascinating_ account professor.

KATASUKE: That's nothing but a bunch of superstitious nonsense if you ask me.

YAMANE: If we have confirmation that Princess Kaguya and the Chakra Gems exist, why then can't the Guardian Beasts?

KATASUKE: If you want to ponder supernatural theories professor, then I would suggest changing your focus to studying the string theory. At least that topic has some basis in _real_ science.

DAISUKE: The string theory?

KATASUKE: Yes Daisuke, its a fascinating concept. Have you ever been forced to make a choice, be it someone you've chosen to marry, a career path you've persued, or even something as simple as what you've had for lunch? Well, did you ever wonder what might have happened if you had made the _other_ choice? For every choice we make there are at least two different realities, or timelines, one where we made the choice, and one where we didn't. Say, just for example, a person has two loves in their life, and in one timeline they marry and have a family by one person, and in another timeline the do so with another. The result is that some people might not even be born in some realities because their parent's never got together. Or, in another case, something different occurred in one reality that caused a horrible tragedy that didn't occur in another reality. The possible alternate realities and timelines are theoretically endless; some worlds so similar that you could spend an entire lifetime trying to track down even the slightest point of difference, and other worlds so totally opposite the one we know that they defy our comprehension.

(INARI snores loudly as he has fallen asleep from KATASUKE'S speech.)

DAISUKE: Inari?

INARI: (Waking up.) Wh-Wha...? Oh, sorry about that Daisuke. I guess the brainiac's science talk must have put me to sleep.

KATASUKE: Why you insolent little—!

YAMANE: At least my 'superstitious nonsense' was able to keep our guest awake.

DAISUKE: All right, all right, lets break it up. Inari, why don't we move onto you sir. You have been working closely with Lord Seventh since the end of Taka's attack on the village last year. Since then you and your team have come far in the reconstruction efforts to repair the extensive damage done to the village and the city. Not only that, but you have even helped to pioneer a few _improvements_ as well?

INARI: That's right Daisuke. I am pleased to say that Konoha's long awaited elevated train and subway system have been completed. This will allow citizens and shinobi alike to get around the village faster than ever before.

DAISUKE: That is very exciting news.

INARI: Oh it gets even better Daisuke. With the help of some of my acquaintances in the field, my team and I are merely a few months away from completion of the a full, ongoing railroad system that will link all of the Five Great Shinobi Nations together. This will allow for much faster and more comfortable travel from village to village, not to mention revolutionize trade within the Union and for any smaller villages interested in joining themselves.

DAISUKE: That sounds fantastic.

KATASUKE: (Impressed) I agree.

YAMANE: I knew your grandfather when I was a younger man, son. I know he'd be proud of you.

INARI: (Blushing) Thanks. But in speaking of my grandpa, I do have one more announcement the I would like to make so long as I am here.

DAISUKE: And what might that be?

INARI: Well Daisuke, my grandfather was more than just a bridge builder, he was a visionary. Before he passed away, he had a vision of human beings using the sky to our advantage, being able to travels through the sky the way birds do. Well, after years of careful RD, my team or carpenters and I are about ready to make that dream a reality.

DAISUKE: How so?

INARI: We call it the Tobichachimaru, the first in a fleet of flying ships that will revolutionize the transportation of goods between the world's countries.

KATASUKE: Why would your grandfather name his flying machine after orcas?

INARI: ...I don't know, I never understood that either. But anyway, the Tobishachimaru is 223 meters long, 34 meters in diameter, she has a max speed of 70 kilometers per hour, and she can fly as high as 5,000 meters above the ground. She uses balloons filled with helium for buoyancy and six propellers for movement and steering. Besides cargo and crew, she can accommodate roughly sixty passengers, for whose benefit she's been is outfitted with a kitchen, dining compartment, and so on.

KATASUKE: Amazing.

DAISUKE: And when exactly will this flying machine be ready for its maiden voyage?

INARI: Her first test run is scheduled in about three weeks.

KATASUKE: Well, I for one certainly look forward to seeing your grandfather's invention take flight.

INARI: (Smugly) Really? I thought we were both at odds just a couple of minutes ago?

KATASUKE: Sir, I'm a scientist and a machinist. A potentially revolutionary invention such as this is something I have a responsibility to—

DAISUKE: I-I'm sorry sir, but I'm being told by my director that we are about out of time.

KATASUKE: What? But I was just wanted to say—

DAISUKE: I want to thank all three of my guests, Katasuke, Inari, and Professor Yamane, for taking the time to come here and join us this evening.

INARI: Sure thing man.

YAMANE: It was my pleasure.

KATASUKE: (Annoyed, folding his arms) Likewise.

(DAISUKE turns his head to face a camera.)

DAISUKE: And I thank all of you at home for watching. Please join me in two weeks when we resume our plans to interview Lord Sandosupai, the former elder of Sunogakure, as he awaits his trial for his alleged crimes as one of the heads of Taka. And next week, tune into Motoko Katsuragi's profile on yet another of Konoha's most infamous faces, former elder and traitor, Uragi Rimonō. Find out who the criminal was in his younger years, as we try to determine what sort of life could have turned this man into one of the greatest criminals Konoha has ever seen. Thank you all again for watching. I'm Daisuke Kishiyama. This is _Konoha Tonight_.

(Fade to black; cut to end title card.)


	7. Episode VI--Descent Into Darkness

(KONOHA TONIGHT title card appears and then fades out to show a clip montage of the civil war that broke out within Konoha a year ago after the exposure of Taka. Accompanying the montage is narration by the host, MOTOKO KATSURAGI.)

MOTOKO: One year ago, this was the sight of Konohagakure. The most powerful and influential of all the five great hidden villages, now ground zero of a sudden surprise civil war within the Allied Shinobi Forces. It was on this day, when the village was playing host to a surprise Kage Summit, that the existence of the mysterious secret society known as Taka was exposed and the world became aware that they had infiltrated their ranks, corrupting dozens upon dozens of Leaf ninja, as well as forces from other villages in the Alliance. There were plenty of leaders of each undercover Taka cell, but one man in particular was the leader and face of one of the darkest days in the history of the Hidden Leaf Village. That man is none other than former village elder and interim Hokage Uragi Rimonō.

(Cut to MOTOKO herself, standing in front of a green screen projecting an aerial view of the village behind her.)

MOTOKO: Hi everyone, I'm Motoko Katsuragi, and tonight we profile one of Konoha's most famous war criminals. We all know the monster, but who is the man? Tonight, we will take a closer look at his past, to try to figure out what is was that turned one of Konoha's prestigious leaders into one of the greatest traitors it has ever known.

(Cut to title card: "Descent Into Darkness: Uragi Rimonō", produced by Takuya Shinigami)

(Cut to narration by MOTOKO as we begin the clip segment.)

MOTOKO: Born to the relatively small Rimonō clan years before the Third Shinobi War, Uragi's parents were both accomplished Jōnin in their own right. However, tragedy struck the boy early on in his life, when both of his parents were murdered on a mission outside of the village. To make matters worse, the murderer was none other than the boy's own _uncle!_ Despite the murderer being caught and brought to justice by later shinobi patrols, the now orphaned Uragi had now had his first taste of the dark side of the ninja world. His first taste of the brutal and often times lethal cycle of hatred that existed at the core of the ninja way. It wasn't made any easier on that dark night long ago when the Nine Tailed Fox attacked the village, killing several of Uragi's friends in the process. Even the betrayal of the Legendary Sannin Orochimaru served to delude his understanding and faith in the ninja way of life. It would be a world view that he would struggle with for the rest of his life.

(Cut to a new series of stills with MOTOKO still narrating.)

MOTOKO: Despite all of this, Uragi graduated from the Academy with high honors before being assigned to his Genin team under his sensei. But despite his impressive grades and rate of completion of his missions, the young ninja named Uragi was known for being very quiet and reserved, preferring to keep most of his opinions to himself and to speak only when spoken to, and preferring to keep his mind on his missions and training at all times. Because of this, he ended up gaining a nickname during his early career, "Silent Uragi."

(Cut to an interview with GEN FUKISAKI, Uragi's former sensei, now retired.)

GEN: I'll tell you this much: he was always about business rather than about fun. Time and again his teammates and I invited him to join us for lunch after training or after a mission, but he would keep turning us down each time. He always said he had training to do instead. (Thinking) I suppose that should have set off some early warning signs.

(Cut back to more clips narrated by MOTOKO.)

MOTOKO: Although Uragi's social life left something to be desired, his ninja career flourished, and so he quickly climbed the ranks and became known for his ability to get results. Alas, Uragi's distant and decidedly unsocial lifestyle left early clues to a dark and dangerous character flaw. You see, Uragi was a young man who felt that he was missing something. He wanted answers to the why the shinobi world he himself was a part of was the way it was. As he grew up and rose in rank, he did find himself making at least one casual friend, none other than the future toad sage, Master Jiraiya.

(Cut to an interview with the recently resurrected JIRAIYA.)

JIRAIYA: When I knew him, Uragi was a brilliant ninja...but even back then, I could tell that there was something missing about him. I remember he used to talk to me about how messed up he thought the world was... I-I'm sorry, its still hard for me to talk about it.

(Cut to more clips and narration from MOTOKO.)

MOTOKO: Jiraiya got to be the one to see his friend off when he had finally decided that the time had come to leave the village on a personal quest for enlightenment, a quest to seek the answers to the questions plaguing his mind. The timing of his departure was before Orochimaru's manipulation of the Sand Village into attacking Konoha during that year's Chūnin Exams, the same day that tragically saw the death of the Third Hokage. It was mere months after his leaving that village prodigy, Sasuke Uchiha, accepted Orochimaru's offer to betray his village and go to him in search of the power he needed in order to get revenge against his criminal brother Itachi. Undoubtedly, Uragi would have discovered this along the road during his travels.

(Cut back to inside the studio, with MOTOKO standing in front of the green screen projecting the aerial view of the village behind her.)

MOTOKO: Unfortunately, much like in our profile on Uchiha that we'd aired earlier this month, the majority of Uragi's exploits during his many years outside of the village gates remains a complete mystery. One truth that interrogation of Uragi after his arrest has brought to light is that, while on his journey of self-discovery, Uragi had befriended Pain, the dreaded Akatsuki leader that nearly destroyed the entire village several years ago. Despite his years of experience teaching him not to trust people easily, Uragi felt that this man could be counted as an ally, since he had outlined to him a plan he had to make the world a better place... That faith was soon dashed though, when word reached the older man's lips of Pain's attack, an attack that killed hundreds of villagers and was only defeated by the heroic actions of one Naruto Uzumaki. Even worse, Uragi had heard of his friend Jiraiya's death at Pain's hands. This sent Uragi into a deep depression that only the realization of the one who defeated Pain and of the so called 'Child of Prophecy' that Jiraiya had once spoken to him about, had helped to get him out of.

(Cut to another series of stills with further narration from MOKOTO.)

MOTOKO: When Sasuke Uchiha executed the traitorous elder and former Root leader Danzō Shimura, Uragi saw it as a victory against everything he hated about the ninja world and the cycle of hatred and corruption at the heart of it. Unfortunately, that good news was soon overshadowed by the onset of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, a gigantic step backwards from everything he believed in and wanted to see change in the world. And right at the heart of this conflict was Naruto Uzumaki himself. Disgusted by the young hero's newfound reputation as a war hero, the pardoning of Sasuke Uchiha after his trial, and the growing lifestyle and happiness of the future Seventh Hokage, Uragi developed an intense, deep rooted hatred for the village savior, seeing him a fraud that went against everything that the prophecy said he would accomplish to bring about a new era of peace.

(Cut to an interview with KONOHAMARU SARUTOBI.)

KONOHAMARU: It makes me sick! How can anybody think that way about Nii-chan!

(Cut to another interview with TEUCHI, manager of Ramen Ichiraku.)

TEUCHI: Any bastard that can think or say anything like that about Naruto is no leader _or_ customer of mine, and you can quote me on that!

(Cut back to another series of clips with narration from MOTOKO.)

MOTOKO: After the war, Uragi explored the world even further and allegedly got a first hand view of the worst aspects of human nature. Concluding in his own delusional mind that Naruto had failed to fulfill the prophecy, everything finally became too much. He was poised to commit suicide...until, according to interrogation made upon his arrest, he was stopped by an emissary from the secret society known as Taka, a society dedicated to changing the world by bringing the old order down so they can remake it the way they want it. He learned that their plan for doing this was to uncover the seven chakra gems, ancient relics that each possessed a godlike power. And so, Uragi soon found allies and entered into Taka's fold.

(Cut to a couple of clips with further narration.)

MOTOKO: A year after the end of the war, Uragi finally returned to Konoha and received the Sixth Hokage's authorization to resume his old life within the village. This was also where Uragi first met Naruto Uzumaki, who sensed no ulterior motives or resentment of any kind beneath the old man's polite and well mannered facade. When asked about his early history with reporters, Lord Seventh told reporters:

(Cut to an interview with NARUTO outside of his office.)

NARUTO: Look, the Uragi Rimonō used to know was a perfect gentlemen, my greatest ally on the council if I'm being completely honest... Y'know, I remember back when I first began my Hokage training, he gave me some advice. He told me: "The winds of change are ever flapping, and change is needed to bring order to the chaos. You can never predict from where chaos can emerge, and sometimes a leader needs to do what is necessary to bring order to a chaotic world." I had no idea what he was talking about back then. Now, after everything that's happened...well, I think that's all I have time to discuss today, thank you. No further questions please.

(Cut back to a clip montage as MOTOKO continues her narration.)

MOTOKO: After his return to Konoha, Uragi spent the next four years climbing the ranks until he ultimately found himself positioned as one of the village elders, replacing Danzō. After the Sixth Hokage announced his retirement and named Naruto as his pending replacement, Uragi presumably caught the ear of several Leaf ninja and coerced them into Taka's cause. He also came into possession of a number of the fabled chakra gems, including the Soul Gem, which gives one the power to resurrect the dead, and the Mind Gem, which allows one to mentally control the minds of others. Testimony from sources close to the Hokage explained to _Konoha Tonight_ that these two gems worked well in tandem with one another as those newly brought back to life have a extra level of vulnerability to the effects of the Mind Gem. This is how Uragi and his forces were able to turn newly resurrected ninja into their living puppets to use during the invasion, including Neji Hyūga, Uragi's own friend Master Jiraiya, and perhaps most monstrously of all, Lord Seventh's own parents, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, and his wife Kushina Uzumaki. As Naruto's reign over Konoha played out over twelve years, Uragi bided his time, particularly after a Taka assassin at Naruto's wedding failed to murder him, his bride, and their then unborn son. When the assassin committed suicide before he could reveal his Taka allegiances, it was undoubtedly a relief for Uragi and his secret allies.

(Cut to a new set of clips with further narration.)

MOTOKO: Eventually, however, Lord Seventh came into possession of a scroll that allegedly held secrets behind what the assassin was up to. What he did _not_ know was that the scroll was actually a map to the locations of the remaining chakra gems, one that Taka were not able to open, and passed in along to Naruto in hopes that he might be able to. When that assumption proved wrong, and when Naruto's wife began uncovering the existence of Taka's chakra-deafening serum, Uragi ordered another assassination on both of them, this time assuming command of the village himself and framing them both for withholding sensitive information from village authorities, labeling both Naruto and Sakura as wanted fugitives and even placing a bounty on each of their heads. Now in power over the entire village, Uragi ordered a lockdown of all activity inside and outside of the village gates until the 'crisis' was resolved. He also sent Naruto's brainwashed parent's to find and terminate the couple before things got any further out of hand. But the biggest step in his plan was to call for a new Kage Summit to take place in Konoha, where he planned to use the Mind Gem to brainwash the remaining four kages into serving Taka. That plan was foiled thanks to the intervention of Shinachiku Uzumaki and his allies, who finally revealed the existence of Taka's deep infiltration to the entire village, triggering the terrible civil war that nearly torn the village apart, and has been the thrust of our world's politics ever since.

(Cut to MOTOKO in the studio.)

MOTOKO: The rest of this story is well known to all of our viewers. After the battle began, many tides turned and many Leaf ninja were forced the fight each other, until it finally culminated in Uragi gaining possession of the Power Gem, the same chakra gem that Shinachiku Uzumaki had recovered in the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools, and using it to become a gigantic monster composed of pure crimson energy that nearly destroy the entire village. Although both Lord Seventh and Sasuke Uchiha provided a valiant defense against the monster, it was Shinachiku who proved the true hero that day, enacting a plan to face Uragi in a final showdown within the boy's own mind. The risk paid off and at last, the traitorous Uragi Rimonō was defeated.

(Cut to a new montage of still images and more crudely assembled footage as MOTOKO narrates once again.)

MOTOKO: After the battle, Uragi was immediately arrested for his many crimes and sentenced to live out the rest of his life in solitary confinement in a dark, secluded cell within Konoha's Strict Correctional Facility. Unfortunately, most information about the traitorous former elder remains a mystery both to the press and also to the public. What _has_ been confirmed is that significant damage done to Uragi's body during his battle with Shinachiku Uzumaki had left the old man with severe burn marks on his body, and a piercing blow to one of his lungs by the Sixth Hokage has supposedly left him with a breathing problem. The most devastating consequence though is that the young Uzumaki's jutsu had attacked his circulatory system to such an extent that his access to his chakra network has been permanently severed. We at _Konoha Tonight_ requested an in person interview with the criminal from within his prison cell, but our requests were denied by the prison warden.

(Cut to a brief quote from the WARDEN.)

WARDEN: No one is allowed to speak to the prisoner without authorization, except for Lord Seventh Hokage and myself. Besides, this traitor is such a pathetic shell of his former self that he's not worth any of you folk's time anyway.

(Cut back to MOTOKO inside the studio.)

MOTOKO: It should be noted that the current warden is a replacement for the old warden, who was relieved of duty after the battle. The original warden was one of numerous decommissionings to come out of Lord Seventh's string of Internal Affairs investigations, done in an effort to weed out all lingering traces of Taka's influence within the village's ranks. These endeavors have been criticized by some for the significant decrease in manpower and for putting so many shinobi out of work and without a means to support their families. Lord Seventh stands by his actions however, in spite of all of this. As for Uragi himself, while we were denied an interview, anonymous sources have claimed to have heard rumors of relentless interrogations bordering on prison torture in order to extract further information about Taka from the former leader. The most farfetched of these rumors even hint that Lord Hokage himself might be playing a direct role in these interrogations. When questioned about these rumors, Lord Seventh harshly denied any such mistreatment had been done, denying any further comment.

(Cut to a single, still image of Uragi in his prime as MOTOKO narrates.)

MOTOKO: So there you have it, Uragi Rimonō, once one of Konoha's most powerful leaders, now a pathetic shell of his former self, one that will spend the rest of his life paying for his despicable crimes against the village and against humanity. But while Uragi remains in custody, Taka itself, as well as its mysterious _master_ , are still out there. And while no one has the ability to predict the future, the odds that Uragi will play any further role in the forthcoming events seems unlikely.

(Cut back to MOTOKO in the studio.)

MOTOKO: Thanks for watching. Join us again in two weeks for the first televised interview with Lord Seventh Hokage himself, Naruto Uzumaki, since the Taka invasion, where he will answer Daisuke Kishiyama's questions, and _yours_ , about how he plans to defeat Taka and make things safer for all of us. Up next week, though, tune in to what will likely be an explosive debate between the alleged head of Taka's branch in the Hidden Sand Village, Lord Sandosupai, and the Fifth Kazekage himself, Gaara of the Desert. While the Kazekage is fully cooperating with Naruto's mission to stamp out corruption within the Shinobi Union, Sandosupai contends that the Union's case against him is a poor attempt to make him a fall guy for the rampant corruption that still exists. We'll find out which is the truth on _Konoha Tonight_. I'm Motoko Katsuragi. Good night.

(Fade to black; cut to end title card.)


	8. Episode VII--Kages and Criminals

("KONOHA TONIGHT" title card appears and then fades out to show the host, DAISUKE KISHIYAMA, at his desk to deliver the evening news.)

DAISUKE: Lord Seventh Hokage has wasted no time is weeding out Taka's influence in the past year since the Taka infiltration, the next phase of which being aiding in the prosecution against Lord Sandosupai of Sunagakure. The Kazekage has built a strong case against the former Suna elder and the alleged head of the leader of Taka's deep cover cell within Suna. Those of you who tuned in six weeks ago might recall that the former chief consultant to the Konoha-Suna alliance, the shinobi named Noburo, was charged with misuse of power, aiding and abetting with Sandosupai, conspiracy, and acceptance of bribes. Now Noburo has agreed to turn in evidence _against_ Sandosupai, in exchange for immunity. Although this testimony seems damning, Noburu insists that he never received orders directly from Sandosupai. Commands instead came from an intermediary who is reputed to be an associate of Sandosupai's named Ogata. Our viewers may also recall that Ogata had previously been arrested for terrorizing the attendees of the inauguration of recently appointed fire daimyō Ikkyū Madoka. Ogata has confirmed ties to Taka, as well as being a reputed member of the Harada crime family.

(DAISUKE turns to face another camera.)

DAISUKE: If the Hokage and the Kazekage can get the mobster to attest to being the middleman between Noburo and Sandosupai, as well as attacking the of the daimyō's inaugeration under Sandosupai's orders, they can effectively tie Sandosupai not only to Taka, but to organized crime as well. If not, then testimony from a corrupt former ninja looking for a way out of some jail time will probably not be enough for a conviction. To discuss this further, we are joined via telefeed from an undisclosed prison facility by the defendant himself, Lord Sandosupai, who claims to be an innocent man caught in the middle of a nasty fight between the kages and their own corrupt forces. And since this case highlights, once again, Taka's rampant corruption within the Five Great Hidden Villages, we also welcome via telefeed from Sunagakure, none other the Fifth Kazekage himself, Gaara of the Desert, to speak on behalf of the prosecution.

GAARA: Good evening.

DAISUKE: Lord Sandosupai, Lord Kazekage, thank you both for joining us.

SANDOSUPAI: A pleasure, Daisuke. Big fan.

DAISUKE: Thank you. So, Lord Sandosupai, I must say that you seem very at ease for someone who's on trial.

SANSOSUPAI: Well, you know that they say, innocence calms the soul.

DAISUKE: Now, you contend that you've had absolutely no influence over the sand ninja forces independent of Lord Kazekage. I mean, you haven't bribed any Shinobi Union officials or officers?

SANDOSUPAI: I've given them money, sure.

DAISUKE: You have?

SANSOSUPAI: Of course. I donate to my village's shinobi ball every year, Daisuke. Now, what Lord Kazekage and his allies, my _former_ allies, go and do with that money, that's up to them.

GAARA: Daisuke, let me make something clear. The shinobi ball is an annual event thrown by all five villages since the end of the Fourth Great War and the formation of the Shinobi Alliance. The point of it to be an event held on behalf of shinobi killed in the line of duty. Proceeds go to their families. It is _strictly_ a charitable event.

SANDOSUPAI: You see, Daisuke? I'm just a charitable guy.

DAISUKE: Lord Sandosupai, Noburo's testimony has painted a pretty detailed picture of your ties to Taka. Now, are you claiming that this is a total and complete fabrication?

SANDOSUPAI: Daisuke, I may be a former elder of an major village, but in the end I'm just a man minding my own, caught in a crossfire between the kages and their own men whom _they_ were too blind and negligent to tell were double agents working against them. Now, if you ask me, I think these accusations are _absurd_. And as a taxpayer of the incredible village of Sunagakure, I am quite frankly _disgusted_ at the amount of money the Union has spent dragging me into court, when they could have spent the _same_ money on a homeless shelter or, you know, something _useful_. But then again, those kinds of things don't make headlines, am I right?

DAISUKE: Interesting. Lord Kazekage, as much as this is a trial against Sansosupai, we cannot forget that it's also yet another trial against the Taka corruption that had swept through the Sand Village under your leadership.

GAARA: (With some initial reluctance) Well, yes. I do not deny that there has indeed been a staggering amount of corruption that has permeated my village, as has the other four villages. However, I stand by my friend the Hokage's example of rigid investigation of those that have been implemented and am working to find the source of this corruption, its leader within Suna as Uragi Rimonō was in Konoha. And in so doing we have successfully backtracked everything to Lord Sandosupai here. I believe that with the upcoming trial and conviction of this man, we will root out the corruption and purge the Land of Wind from the influence of Taka and evil men like them.

DAISUKE: Now any of those you've isolated have specific ties to Sandosupai, Lord Kazekage?

GAARA: Well, I'm not at liberty to say right now—

SANDOSUPAI: _(Laughing manically)_ That's funny, isn't it, Daisuke? I mean we've got ninja from all over the place—Suna, Konoha, Iwa, Kiri, Kumo— they go around robbing, cheating and stealing, and yet the kages themselves, they've all still got their jobs. Talk about corruption, huh? Who's scratching _your_ back, Gaara?

GAARA: Laugh all you want, Sandosupai, You see, I don't itch.

SANDOSUPAI: Yeah, right.

DAISUKE: Now one of the prosecution's key witnesses, Ogata, is also an alleged associate of both yours and of crime boss Hanzai Harada. He's going to be testifying as a go-between for you and Noburo. I mean, how do you feel about that, Lord Sandosupai?

SANDOSUPAI: Look, I can pull a bum off the street for twenty ryo and a handshake who'll testify in court that _you_ are a member of Taka, Daisuke. But that doesn't make it so, does it?

DAISUKE: So, what you're saying is that Ogata is not an associate of yours?

SANDOSUPAI: (Frustrated) Daisuke, who do you think I am?

GAARA: I'll tell you who he is. The leader of Taka's cell within Sunagakure.

SANDOSUPAI: The leader of Taka's cell within Sunagakure? Ha! I'm afraid the Kazekage has the same problem that the Hokage has: a _big_ imagination.

DAISUKE: You sure aren't afriad to say some mean things about the Kazekage, Lord Sandosupai. Aren't you at least a little bit reluctant to say such things about your former kage and friend?

SANDOSUPAI: No I'm not Daisuke, because Gaara stopped being my friend the moment he accused me of these crimes and put in jail to await trial. My loyalty is and always has been to the Hidden Sand Village, and to no one else.

DAISUKE: Really? Not to Taka, not to the Harada crime family?

SANDOSUPAI: (Annoyed) Now what does the Harada crime family have to do with anything?

DAISUKE: I'm just noting that your alleged contact Ogata also reportedly is a member of the family as well as Taka.

SANDOSUPAI: (Angry) If you're insinuating that Hanzai Harada has _anything_ to do with me—?!

DAISUKE: Gomen, gomen. Now how do you respond then to the surveillance tapes that were leaked three weeks ago that detailed the abduction of two Shinobi Union bagmen who were later found murdered?

SANDOSUPAI: Ah, tragic. _Tragic._ My condolences to their families.

DAISUKE: Lord Sandosupai, before they were ambushed, they specifically spoke about your decision to band together with the other leaders from other villages that just so happen to be on the short list of suspects for other alleged Taka leaders.

SANDOSUPAI: (Nervous) Well, we work in a global economy, Daisuke. As a leader of Sunagakure, it was my job to do business with all kinds of people: Leaf ninja, Kiri ninja, Kumo ninja, Iwa ninja, small traders, uh...more small traders, heh, heh. Unfortunately, I found out sometimes these people weren't always on the up-and-up. And when I found this out, neither I nor Suna did business with those men any more. Do you understand?

DAISUKE: So you're not overseeing a Taka conspiracy in Suna, and this is actually just political business?

SANDOSUPAI: (Incredulous) Daisuke, you're repeating yourself. Don't you have anything else interesting to talk about? I'm sure the viewers at home are turning off their TVs right now. I mean, you don't want to bore them...(Gives a threatening glare)...to death, do you?

DAISUKE: (Getting the message, but not the least bit deterred) No we don't. Lord Kazekage, do the Shinobi Union investigators have any leads in relation to the murders of the two men on the surveillance tapes?

GAARA: Not yet Daisuke, but I am expecting a report on the investigation soon.

DAISUKE: Has anyone in Shinachiku Uzumaki's Chakra Gem Recovery Squad been considered a suspect at this point?

(GAARA is about to say something before SANDOSUPAI cuts him off.)

SANDOSUPAI: Daisuke, _that_ is an interesting question. Funny how the Hokage is going through so much effort to point the finger at men like me while he trusts the real work of finding the remaining chakra gems to a bunch of children. That's another way you know I'm innocent, because unlike Shinachiku Uzumaki, I actually had to _work_ for my job instead of having it handed to me by my father, so why would I ever be stupid enough to risk—?

GAARA: Shinachiku Uzumaki is one of the finest young ninja I have ever met! He's a hero!

SANDOSUPAI: I never said he wasn't a fine young ninja or a hero. But Gaara, come on, Naruto gives his kid a big job like this with his own team after only _one_ mission and he's got the nerve to accuse _us_ of corruption? And lets not forget his appointing Sasuke Uchiha, a former _criminal_ , to the Anbu Black Ops!

GAARA: You see, Daisuke, this man would like nothing more than to cast suspicion on an two honest, hard working ninja who are hard at work recovering possible weapons of mass destruction before the Union's enemies do. Enemies that Lord Sandosupai here would call his friends in private company.

SANDOSUPAI: That's out of line!

GAARA: Men for whom he and other corrupt leaders within the Shinobi Union have been laundering money to fuel their evil, terrorist pursuits.

SANDOSUPAI: Oh, so now I'm a _money-launderer_ too?!

DAISUKE: Lord Kazekage, are you saying that Lord Sandosupai is the product of recent money laundering crackdowns?

GAARA: We have reason to believe that millions of ryo in dirty money has been laundered from banks within the five greats villages and has been illegally transferred into the accounts of Taka members like Lord Sandosupai.

SANDOSUPAI: Save yourself a disappointment! If you want to know where your missing money is, try going through your _own_ ninja's wallets! You'll find most of it there! Daisuke, are you going to let this man insult your journalistic ethics?

DAISUKE: How so at this point, Lord Sandosupai?

SANDOSUPAI: By spouting this garbage.

DAISUKE: I'm simply, on behalf of Konoha TV, presenting both sides of the argument. That's what the segment's about.

SANDOSUPAI: This is not an argument, Daisuke. _This_ is a persecution.

DAISUKE: No, I don't think so actually.

SANDOSUPAI: No, you _don't_ think, Daisuke. You know what, I'm gonna help you. I'm going to think for you.

DAISUKE: (Amused) Oh yeah?

SANDOSUPAI: Yes. We can talk the details and go around in circles all night, but if you want to know the truth, _here_ is the truth: The Union has no clue what they're doing tracking down the _real_ scumbags leading Taka, or better yet, taking the blame themselves for their own ninja's moral lapses, so now the Blonde Fox and Mr. Redhead Tanooki here—

GAARA: _Redhead Tanooki?_

MARONI: They're trying to set me up like some kind of patsy. Well guess what? I'm not a patsy! What I am—(Seeing the time) ...What I am is late. I've got the warden telling me it's time to go back to my cell.

DAISUKE: Well we're just about out of time anyway. Ah—

SANDOSUPAI: Good. Say good night.

DAIUSKE: Lord Kazekage, thank you for joining us.

GAARA: Yes, thank you for having me on, Daisuke. And I just want to say, we'll have our day in court. You enjoy yourself when you get there, Sandosupai.

DAISUKE: Lord Sandosupai, we thank you as well for joining us.

SANDOSUPAI: My pleasure. Hey, how do I get this microphone off me? Can somebody get this off me?

(Guards come over to help him with his microphone as they also carry SANDOSUPAI away. The feed goes static.)

DAISUKE: (Turning to face the camera) And thank you for joining us. Please join us next week with the first televised interview with Lord Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, since the Taka infiltration. Lord Seventh will both answer your questions and mine about his plans to make the streets and the world safer. In the meantime, take care and have a good night. Thank you for joining us. This is _Konoha Tonight_ , and I'm Daisuke Kishiyama.

(Fade to black; cut to end title card.)


	9. Episode VIII--Konoha's Orange Hokage

("KONOHA TONIGHT" title card appears and then fades out to show the host, DAISUKE KISHIYAMA, at his desk to deliver the evening news.)

DAISUKE: Lord Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, and his fellow leaders in the Shinobi Union, are now a full year into their war on Taka. One of the most recent assaults in this war made former Konoha-Suna consultant Noburo, surrender unconditionally and turn over evidence against the head of Taka's branch within the Hidden Sand Village. This testimony paved the way for what will be the Union's next major battle: the trial of Sandosupai.

(Turns to face another camera.)

DAISUKE: Is Konoha's Orange Hokage truly in his right mind to benefit the village with his war on Taka? Or is he only making decisions that best suit himself and those close to him and taking actions that make for good headlines? Good evening, I'm Daisuke Kishiyama, and this is _Konoha Tonight_.

(DAISUKE continues speaking as the camera cuts to NARUTO, contemplative and perhaps a little bit offended by DAISUKE'S intro.)

DAISUKE: We're joined live in the studio tonight by our Seventh Hokage himself, Naruto Uzumaki, who has graciously taken time out of his busy schedule to not only answer my questions, but yours as well. So let's start, shall we?

NARUTO: Why don't we start with the question you posed in your opening, Daisuke? Am I truly an advocate for Konoha or am I just a nepotistic publicity hound?

DAISUKE: Well, that wasn't exactly how I put it, but—

NARUTO: Because if I really cared about headlines, Daisuke, I would do a lot more press, wouldn't I? I mean, weren't you the one who criticized me for not doing any full interviews after Taka's invasion?

DAISUKE: Well, that's true, yeah.

NARUTO: Okay, then here's an answer to your other question. Whatever decisions I make as Hokage will _always_ be made with the village's best interest in mind. The moment I fail to do that, no matter the circumstances, is the moment I break the vow I made on my inauguration day and become everything I stand against.

DAISUKE: Corruption, brutality, total disregard for the law.

NARUTO: To name a few, yes.

DAISUKE: Well then, could you please defend the controversy surrounding your son?

NARUTO: My son? Isn't that a little off-point?

DAISUKE: No, I disagree, actually. I have found a lot of people out there are concerned that the recovery of the remaining chakra gems, these strange, ancient relics of unspeakable power that Taka are after, is being trusted to a mere thirteen year old boy and his team of Chūnin. Furthermore, that your son Shinachiku was promoted to his current rank after only one official mission and without even taking the Chūnin Exams. I mean, Lord Seventh, you do understand why some people might see this as obvious nepotism, yes?

NARUTO: I assure you and everyone watching that Shinachiku's current position is the result of his exemplary performance and heroism in defeating Uragi that day, Daisuke. The fact that he's my son has nothing to do with it. I assigned him command of his team because he had had more direct interaction with the chakra gems than anyone, so he knows better than anyone the potential dangers that can come from claiming them.

DAISUKE: Like how he allegedly fell under the influence of the Power Gem during his mission to recover it last year?

NARUTO: (Scowling) ...That did not happen Daisuke.

DAISUKE: (Suspicious) ...Fine. But then what about the controversy around the promotion of former criminal Sasuke Uchiha to a captain in the Anbu Black Ops?

NARUTO: As I have said before, Sasuke has more than redeemed himself through years of service to this village since the war. He's _earned_ his second chance, and I have no doubt that this village will benefit from his direct contributions to this village.

DAISUKE: There have also been rumors about mistreatment of war criminal Uragi Rimonō within his prison cell. Can you confirm any truth to those rumors Lord Seventh?

NARUTO: ...No, there has been no mistreatment of the prisoner that he hasn't deserved.

DAISUKE: (Going with that answer) Very well. So, changing the subject for a moment, I understand that you are boarding a train tomorrow morning bound for Suna to be present for the trial of Sandosupai?

NARUTO: Yes.

DAISUKE: Well since the trial's now officially in progress, Lord Hokage, we obviously understand you can't discuss the details of it at this point. So I'd like to open up the conversation to a couple of callers now, if you don't mind?

NARUTO: Sure thing.

DAISUKE: So on Line 1 we have Mariko Shiranui from uptown. Mariko, you're on the air.

 _MARIKO: Yeah, hi Naruto. I'm a huge supporter of yours._

NARUTO: Thank you Mariko.

 _MARIKO: I used to live in a different part of the village that saw a lot of chaos during Taka's attack, and I was fortunate enough to make it out okay. But my husband was one of the ninja who got infected with Taka's chakra draining serum. Now I hear Taka, or somebody else, may be out there spreading the serum again. What can you do to stop this?_

NARUTO: Well Mariko, I am happy to tell you that what I already have done is that I've opened a full investigation into the recent reports of spiked drugs somehow getting imported into Konoha. The 'somebody else' you're talking about is an old enemy of mine named Mizuki, who unfortunately did manage to escape from the Strict Correctional Facility last year. So far my reports have suggested that Mizuki is dead outside the village, but I am inclined not to believe those claims since, frankly, no one's shown me a body. So, yeah, I believe that Mizuki is out there and both finding him and stopping these spiked drugs will be imperative.

DAISUKE: This alleged poisoning of the drugs in Konoha is clearly just another offense in what we're seeing. That is, a series of really bizarre and sensational crimes being perpetrated these days, both by Taka and, presumably, by people who have nothing to do with them. How do we counteract something that appears to have no known motive?

NARUTO: Well, as demented as it may be, I think there _is_ a clear motive: to hurt people. And that's why this crime _will_ be stopped, and the perpetrators _will_ be brought to justice.

DAISUKE: Caller 2, Toji Mitarashi from downtown, you're on the air.

 _TOJI: Yeah, hi. I'm a ninja, tracking and recovery division, and you talk about bringing Taka and other criminals to justice. How are we, the Leaf ninja, h-how are we gonna do that?! When you've got your hands wrapped around our throats?! You've laid off three of my friends already with you IA crap—!_

NARUTO: Well tell me their names. No, really, you tell me their names and I'll tell you what they did to make me decommission them! Look, I understand that a decrease in manpower makes it harder for you to do your job. But working with a group of men and women who are secretly working _with_ your enemies instead of against them, _that_ makes your job impossible! And to be honest with you, Mitarashi-san, I feel a lot safer knowing that someone like yourself, who's name _hasn't_ shown up in a file on my desk, is out there on the streets protecting me and my family. You're a good man and a good ninja.

DAISUKE: The Taka and Harada crime family member Ogata and two others were apprehended by your son and his team before they could assault patrons at the daimyō's inaugeration ceremony. You and the Kazekage are putting Ogata on the stand tomorrow to testify that he was a go-between for Sandosupai and Noburo, now, effectively tying the Taka to one of the former elders of the Hidden Sand Village, as well as, possibly, to the mob as well.

NARUTO: Well, that's the aim.

DAISUKE: Aren't you and Gaara worried that this could open up old wounds from previous Internal Affairs investigations, I mean, that have already convicted huge numbers shinobi here in Konoha and could potentially cause similar backlash in Suna as well?

NARUTO: Daisuke, listen, my intention is _not_ to cast suspicion over my entire ninja core, nor do I encourage the other kages to totally alienate their own forces either.. _But_ , we were all there that day when Taka attacked and the truth came out. And when the corruption is _so_ widespread across the Alliance, now the Union, then the only way you can be sure you've been purged of it is if you go down there and dig down deep and root it out. Sandosupai's conviction tomorrow, hopefully, would be the next big step in that process.

DAISUKE: What is your working relationship with your forces and the Elders right now?

NARUTO: Elder Homura was initially...err...critical, lets say, of my position. But now the three of us are working more close together, and there are several other Leaf ninja who are out there doing a good job, whom I trust.

DAISUKE: Like your friend Sasuke Uchiha and of course your son and his Chakra Gem Recovery Squad that we're all hearing about?

NARUTO: Well, yes, but besides that there are plenty of other great ninja doing great work in keeping our villages safe against Taka and our other enemies. And I thank them all for their devoted service from the bottom of my heart.

DAISUKE: We recently had Katasuke Tōno of the Science Ninja Weapons Team, and your friend Inari, head of the Konoha Reconstruction Project, both appear on the show and they each shared some fascinating inventions with us. What is your working relationship with both of these men right now?

NARUTO: Well, Katasuke has been showing me some of the ideas he's been working on, such as the Tote that he showed you on the air, _without_ my consent I might add. And he's told me that his team is working on something else that he intends to show me soon. But honestly, a lot of their work so far has been of concern to me.

DAISUKE: And Inari?

NARUTO: Actually, the reconstruction is going spectacularly. Inari's assembled a team from all fields to finish work on the destroyed buildings and setting up the elevated train and subway systems to help make travel easier for ninja and civilians alike to get around in the big city.

DAISUKE: Not to mention the new flying machine that Inari grandfather had developed.

NARUTO: Yes, the Tobishachimaru. I got to be there for the first test flight, and it already looks extremely promising.

DAISUKE: Caller 3, name Yukio Shirahama, you're on the air now dear.

 _YUKIO: Yeah, hi Naruto, I had a question I wanted to ask you._

NARUTO: Go ahead dear.

 _YUKIO_ _: Well, um...is it really true that you and Sakura are having another baby?_

NARUTO: (Laughing to himself) ...Yes, yes we are. Sakura's about three months along now, and we still don't know if its a boy or a girl yet. Next caller.

DAISUKE: _(Getting a message in his microphone earpiece)_ I-I-I'm sorry to interrupt right now, but we've been informed of some breaking news here in Konoha. My colleague, Motoko Katsuragi, is reporting outside Konoha Railroad Station, where we're hearing that seven men have caused a train wreck...(Cut to reaction shot of a disturbed Naruto)...after robbing apparently $68 billion ryo in gold out of one of the train's cars. Motoko, what's the situation there? It doesn't look like you're anywhere close to the wreck.

 _(Intercut with live coverage from MOTOKO blocks away from the crime scene)_

MOTOKO: That's right Daisuke. We're at the station right now with a crowd of onlookers and press here being held back by Anbu Black Ops. We're a couple blocks away from the crime scene where the train went off the rails. Authorities still have a perimeter set up around the area due to heavy amounts of damage and debris spread out all over the area.

DAISUKE: What is the status of the passengers and the seven train robbers at this point?

MOTOKO: All but _one_ of the passengers and crew aboard the train are all dead. Most of them took physical blows to the body, and some have seemingly been killed by high level jutsu, while the head guard in charge of securing the money got the worst of it, reportedly having his entire _skull_ ripped apart by the lead robber's bare hands! The sole surviving passenger is now safely in Leaf ninja custody.

NARUTO: _(Dead serious, whispering to DAISUKE)_ Any identification on the perps?

DAISUKE: Motoko, have any of the assailants been identified at this point? Do we know?

MOTOKO: No, there's been no reports on what the train's black box footage reveals. But, according to the only living eyewitnesses, each of the six men, and one woman, were disguised in multicolor outfits, robes and each of the seven wore a different colored mask—red, black blue, yellow, pink, green, and the leader was wearing white. They also allegedly showcase terrifying levels of strength and intelligence that, according to the eyewitness, suggested that the robbers were 'superhuman.' (Reaction shot of a bewildered NARUTO) So there's been no identification thus far. We're still waiting to hear more.

DAISUKE: Okay Motoko, we certainly thank you. Please keep us updated.

MOTOKO: Of course.

(End of MOTOKO'S coverage)

DAISUKE: And we'll be tracking that story on _Konoha Tonight_. Well, Lord Seventh, you certainly have your hands full in this city. We certainly appreciate you being here tonight.

NARUTO: Daisuke, let me say right here that putting pressure on Taka and all the other criminals so they think twice before committing _horrible_ crimes like this, that's our goal. Now if you don't mind, I need to get down there and see this for myself.

DAISUKE: We understand, and we thank you for coming on, Lord Hokage.

NARUTO: You're welcome.

(NARUTO hastily takes off his microphone and dashes off stage towards the scene of the crime.)

DAISUKE: And we thank you for watching. Please join me next time for a live telefeed interview with the recently appointed fire daimyō himself, Ikkyū Madoka, who will detail his own plans to rid the Land of Fire of Taka's influence. What will his relationship be like with the Hokage? How will he administer the shinobi within the Land of Fire? And will he in any way interfere with the ongoing efforts against Taka, or in the ongoing crusade to recover the chakra gems? We'll find out on _Konoha Tonight_. So good night, everyone. Please, stay safe.

(Fade to black; cut to end title card.)


	10. Konoha Tonight Author's Remarks

Hey guys, this is thesaiyanjedi here. I just wanted to take a time out really quick to say thank you all for reading this story, and to let you know that, despite that tease at the end, this was the final chapter of "Konoha Tonight." The breaking news story you'd just read leads directly into the opening of the official SFA sequel, "Shinachiku's Next Adventure," which is available to read now. So go do me a favor and check it out!

Thanks a ton, and I look forward to seeing you next time. Until then, see ya!


End file.
